JP2015016067A - Image display method, apparatus, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To correctly display a region of interest (ROI) after modification and a graph of index values about the modification when the ROI has been modified for each of plural images obtained by photographing the same subject at different time points.SOLUTION: An image display method displays plural chronological examination images T1 to T4 on image display means, sets an ROI (region of interest) 5 to one of the displayed images, and automatically sets to the remaining images an ROI 5 equivalent in the anatomic position to the already set ROI. The image display method also determines specified index values for each ROI 5, and then displays on the image display means a graph in which the index values are shown in the order in which the images were captured, and thumb nail images S1 to S4, partial extractions of images including the ROI 5. Then the image display method, when modifying one ROI 5 to set a new ROI 5, modifies the remaining ROIs in the same manner, and determines the new index values about each of the modified ROI 5 to replace the now being displayed graph and thumb nail images with newly determined ones.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image display method, and more particularly to an image display method for displaying a region of interest of each image and an index value related thereto for a plurality of images obtained by photographing the same subject made of a living body. Is.

  The present invention also relates to an image display apparatus for carrying out the image display method as described above, and a program for causing a computer to execute the method.

  Conventionally, various medical images such as transmission radiation images, CT images, and MRI images have been widely used for examining and diagnosing living bodies such as humans. In using such a medical image, the same subject is photographed at different photographing points, for example, every month, and a plurality of images (chronological examination images) thus obtained are compared and observed. In many cases, aging of a lesioned part is observed.

  In addition, when using the medical image as described above for the examination of a living body, in addition to directly observing the image, various index values in a region of interest (ROI) set in the image are obtained, and the index Observing the value is also done. Specific examples of such index values include shape feature quantities such as the area of interest and the maximum diameter, density feature quantities such as maximum and average pixel values (density values) within the area of interest, and changes over time. The characteristic amount that has been changed to the above.

  As described above, when using multiple images of the same subject at different shooting times and index values for each of those images for examination and diagnosis, it is desirable to display both the region of interest and the index value in each image in an easy-to-read manner. It is. For example, in Patent Document 1, a time-series image is acquired by repeatedly photographing the same subject, and a region of interest set in common to each image, and an index value in the region of interest (an addition average value of pixel values of a plurality of specific pixels) are disclosed. ) Is displayed on a common image display means. The image display method is shown in which the graphs are arranged along the time phase.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-098961

  The image display method disclosed in Patent Document 1 displays both a region of interest and an index value related to the region of interest in an easy-to-see manner. If the region of interest is corrected while observing an image or a graph, the correction is performed. It is impossible to correctly show a graph of index values for the region of interest later.

  Therefore, the present invention can easily display the region of interest of each image and the index value related to the plurality of images obtained by photographing the same subject made of a living body, and when the region of interest is corrected, the correction is performed. An object of the present invention is to provide an image display method capable of correctly showing a graph of index values for a subsequent region of interest.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the image display method as described above, and a program for causing a computer to execute the method.

An image display method according to the present invention includes:
After a plurality of time-lapse examination images obtained by photographing the same subject made of a living body at different points in time and associated with each other in an anatomical position, a region of interest of each image and an index value related thereto are displayed. An image display method,
Displaying the plurality of time-lapse examination images on an image display means;
Set a region of interest in one of the displayed images,
A region of interest having an anatomical position equivalent to the set region of interest is automatically set in the remaining images, and a predetermined index value is obtained for each region of interest.
A graph showing those index values arranged in order of image capturing time, and a thumbnail image obtained by extracting a part including the region of interest from the time-lapse examination image is displayed on the image display means,
When one region of interest is modified and a new region of interest is set, the remaining region of interest is modified in the same manner, and the predetermined index value for each modified region of interest is newly obtained,
The display of the graph and the thumbnail image is respectively changed to the display of the newly obtained index value graph and the display of the thumbnail image relating to the new region of interest.

  Note that the process of correcting the region of interest is a process of changing at least one of size, planar position, depth direction position, and shape, for example.

  In addition, as described above, the process of correcting the region of interest is preferably performed by an operation on the displayed time-lapse inspection image or thumbnail image.

  In the image display method of the present invention, it is desirable to display all the thumbnail images simultaneously with the graph in the vicinity of the position on the graph where the index value for the region of interest indicated by the thumbnail image is plotted.

  Alternatively, only one thumbnail image may be displayed in the vicinity of the position on the graph where the index value for the region of interest indicated by the thumbnail image is plotted when a display command is given.

  The shape of the region of interest can be set to, for example, a rectangle, an ellipse, a freehand shape, or the contour of a portion that is automatically recognized as a lesion.

  In the image display method of the present invention, it is desirable that the display format of the time-lapse inspection image and / or thumbnail image can be changed.

  The process of changing the display format in this way is a process of changing the image size, a process of changing the display magnification, a process of changing the planar position, a process of changing the position in the depth direction, and a process of changing to an image after image processing. Desirably, at least one of them.

On the other hand, the program according to the present invention is:
An image display method for displaying a region of interest of each image and an index value related thereto for a plurality of time-lapse examination images obtained by photographing the same subject at different points in time and associated with each other in anatomical positions Because
Displaying the plurality of time-lapse examination images on an image display means;
Set a region of interest in one of the displayed images,
A region of interest having an anatomical position equivalent to the set region of interest is automatically set in the remaining images, and a predetermined index value is obtained for each region of interest.
A graph showing those index values arranged in order of image capturing time, and a thumbnail image obtained by extracting a part including the region of interest from the time-lapse examination image is displayed on the image display means,
When one region of interest is modified and a new region of interest is set, the remaining region of interest is modified in the same manner, and the predetermined index value for each modified region of interest is newly obtained,
A computer is caused to execute an image display method in which the display of the graph and the thumbnail image is changed to the display of the newly obtained index value graph and the display of the thumbnail image relating to the new region of interest, respectively.

Moreover, the image display device according to the present invention includes:
After a plurality of time-lapse examination images obtained by photographing the same subject made of a living body at different points in time and associated with each other in an anatomical position, a region of interest of each image and an index value related thereto are displayed. An image display device,
One or more image display means; and
Displaying the plurality of time-lapse examination images on the image display means;
When a region of interest is set in one of the displayed plurality of images, a region of interest having an anatomical position equivalent to the set region of interest is automatically set in the remaining images, and for each region of interest Find a given index value,
A graph showing the index values arranged in order of image capturing time, and a thumbnail image obtained by extracting a part including the region of interest from the time-lapse examination image is displayed on the image display means,
When one region of interest is modified and a new region of interest is set, the remaining region of interest is modified in the same manner, and the predetermined index value for each modified region of interest is newly obtained,
It is characterized by comprising display control means for changing the display of the graph and the thumbnail image to the display of the newly obtained index value graph and the display of the thumbnail image relating to the new region of interest, respectively.

According to the image display method of the present invention,
Display multiple time-lapse examination images on the image display means,
Set a region of interest in one of the displayed images,
A region of interest having an anatomical position equivalent to the set region of interest is automatically set in the remaining images, and a predetermined index value is obtained for each region of interest.
A graph showing those index values arranged in order of image capturing time, and a thumbnail image obtained by extracting a part including the region of interest from the time-lapse examination image is displayed on the image display means,
When one region of interest is modified and a new region of interest is set, the remaining region of interest is modified in the same manner, and the predetermined index value for each modified region of interest is newly obtained,
Since the display of the graph and the thumbnail image is changed to the display of the newly obtained index value graph and the thumbnail image related to the new region of interest, respectively.
The region of interest of a plurality of images and index values related thereto can be easily displayed, and when the region of interest is corrected, a graph of the index value for the region of interest after correction can be correctly shown.

The image display device according to the present invention also provides:
One or more image display means; and
Displaying the plurality of time-lapse examination images on the image display means;
When a region of interest is set in one of the displayed plurality of images, a region of interest having an anatomical position equivalent to the set region of interest is automatically set in the remaining images, and for each region of interest Find a given index value,
A graph showing the index values arranged in order of image capturing time, and a thumbnail image obtained by extracting a part including the region of interest from the time-lapse examination image is displayed on the image display means,
When one region of interest is modified and a new region of interest is set, the remaining region of interest is modified in the same manner, and the predetermined index value for each modified region of interest is newly obtained,
According to this image display device, there is provided display control means for changing the display of the graph and the thumbnail image to the display of the newly obtained index value graph and the display of the thumbnail image relating to the new region of interest, respectively. Thus, the image display method of the present invention described above can be implemented.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a medical information system that implements an image display method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view which shows the structure of the image display apparatus in the system of FIG. The figure which shows the example of the display image in the image display apparatus of FIG. The figure which shows another example of the display image in the image display apparatus of FIG. The figure which shows another example of the display image in the image display apparatus of FIG. The figure which shows another example of the display image in the image display apparatus of FIG. The figure which shows another example of the display image in the image display apparatus of FIG. The figure which shows another example of the display image in the image display apparatus of FIG. The figure which shows another example of the display image in the image display apparatus of FIG. The figure explaining an example of correction of a region of interest The figure which shows another example of the display image in the image display apparatus of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a medical information system to which an image display method according to the present invention is applied. This medical information system includes a medical image photographing device (modality) 1, an image interpretation workstation 2 to which an image display method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, an image server 3, and an image database 4 via a network 10. Connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other. The operation of each device in this system is controlled by a program installed from a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. This program may be installed after being downloaded from a server connected via a network such as the Internet.

  In the modality 1, the examination target part of the subject is imaged to generate image data representing the part, and information (tag information) such as examination information and patient information is added to the image data and output. Device included. The tag information is in a format conforming to a standardized standard such as DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) standard and a manufacturer's standard such as a modality thereof. Specific examples of the modality 1 include a CT apparatus, an MRI apparatus, a PET apparatus, a CR apparatus, and an ultrasonic imaging apparatus.

  The image data for displaying an image in this example is, for example, three-dimensional image data indicating a tomographic image of a subject to be examined, acquired by a CT apparatus, more specifically, an axial position based on a predetermined slice interval and slice thickness. An aggregate of image data indicating a cut image, a sagittal cut image, or the like can be given. However, the image data is not limited to this, and may be image data indicating one image taken by a CR device or the like.

  The image interpretation workstation 2 is an apparatus used by an image interpretation doctor who is the user for image interpretation and creation of an interpretation report. As shown in FIG. 2, the image interpretation workstation 2 has a processing device 21 having a storage device such as a CPU, a hard disk, a memory, various interfaces, etc., one or two high-definition displays 22 (only one device). And a computer system comprising an input means 25 such as a keyboard 23 and a mouse 24. The high-definition display 22 and the processing device 21 constitute image display means and display control means in the image display device of the present invention.

  Based on a program installed in the processing device 21, the image interpretation workstation 2 makes an image browsing request to the image server 3, various image processing for images received from the image server 3, paging (page feed) and panning (display area movement). Processing) Further, processing related to image display such as zooming (enlargement / reduction processing), various analysis processes including automatic detection and highlighting of structures and lesions in the image, image display, interpretation report creation support The interpretation report registration request and browsing request to the interpretation report server (not shown), and the interpretation report received from the interpretation report server can be displayed.

  The image server 3 is obtained by installing a software program that provides a function of a database management system (DataBase Management System: DBMS) on a general-purpose computer having a relatively high processing capability. The image server 3 includes a large-capacity storage for constructing the image database 4. This storage may be a large-capacity hard disk device connected to the image server 3 by a data bus, or connected to a NAS (Network Attached Storage) or SAN (Storage Area Network) connected to the network 10. It may be a disk device. The image server 3 also has a communication interface that communicates with the modality 1 and the image interpretation workstation 2 via the network 10. When the image server 3 receives an image registration request from the modality 1, the image server 3 arranges the image in a database format and registers it in the image database 4.

  In the image database 4, image data and tag information related to the image are registered. The tag information includes, for example, an image ID for identifying individual images, a patient ID for identifying a subject, an examination ID for identifying examinations, a unique ID (UID) assigned to each image, and the image Examination date, examination time, type of modality used in the examination to obtain the image, patient information such as patient name, age, gender, examination site (imaging site), imaging information (imaging protocol, (Sequence of imaging, imaging method, imaging conditions, use of contrast agent, etc.) Information such as a series number or collection number when a plurality of images are acquired in one examination may be included.

  When the image server 3 receives a browsing request from the image interpretation workstation 2 via the network 10, the image server 3 searches for an image registered in the image database 4 and transmits the extracted image to the image interpretation workstation 2 as the request source. .

  When an operation for requesting browsing of an image to be interpreted is performed by a user such as an image interpretation doctor, the image interpretation workstation 2 transmits a view request to the image server 3 and acquires an image necessary for image interpretation. Then, the image interpretation workstation 2 performs various image processing on the image based on the user's command, or performs processing related to image display such as paging, panning, and zooming, and then displays the image on the display 22. Display.

  Next, image display on the display 22 will be described in detail. One “examination” described below belongs to one “patient”. One “inspection” is composed of a plurality of “series”, and one “series” is composed of a plurality of “images”. In addition, the processes described below are all executed by the processing device 21 including the CPU and the like based on a predetermined program, unless otherwise specified.

  When the user (operator) selects “inspection” from an inspection list (not shown) displayed on the display 22, an image display screen as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display 22. As an example, the image display screen includes an examination list display area 22a arranged at the upper left, a thumbnail display area 22b arranged at the right side thereof, and an image display area 22c arranged below them. Further, various operation buttons 30 constituting a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for a user to input various commands related to image display are displayed side by side on the image display area 22c.

  A list of examinations related to the patient is displayed in the examination list display area 22a. When an examination is selected on this list, the thumbnail display area is updated. In the thumbnail display area 22b, thumbnail images of series belonging to “examination selected in the examination list” are displayed. When the user selects one of the thumbnail images and drags and drops it on the image display area 22c, one or a plurality of images of the drag source series including the thumbnail image are displayed in the image display area 22c. Is displayed.

  The UID described above includes a UID that defines the positional relationship between a reference coordinate system (FOR: Frame of Reference) and the subject, and a common coordinate reference UID is assigned to images in the same series. Based on the reference coordinate system UID, images of the same series can be read from the image database 4.

  At the time of image interpretation, the user performs image interpretation while performing an operation on each image displayed in the image display area 22c, that is, an operation for changing the gradation and the enlargement ratio. Operations on each image are performed mainly by clicking or dragging the mouse 24.

  In particular, when the image display method of the present invention is carried out, for example, a menu of “change with time” is selected by an operation on a display screen (not shown) or by using a shortcut key. As a premise at this time, a plurality of images of the above series are obtained by photographing the same subject at different points in time, and then are a plurality of temporal examination images in which the anatomical positions are associated with each other. Such a plurality of images are stored in the image server 3 in association with each other by the tag information registered in the image database 4 described above.

  The plurality of images having different shooting time points are, for example, a current image shot on the day (for example, April 4) on which the image is displayed for examination / diagnosis, and a plurality of images shot about one month before that. These are past images. However, the plurality of images with different shooting time points targeted by the present invention are not limited to such images, and other examples include images including and not including images of contrast agents that were imaged on the same day. It does not matter.

  Here, the association of the anatomical positions is performed using a discriminator obtained by learning based on the Adaboost method, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-219655 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-142974. be able to. Such association of anatomical positions may be performed at the time of registration in the image database 4, or is not limited to this, and for an image transmitted from the image server 3 to the interpretation workstation 2, It may be performed at the time when the “time-change display” menu is selected.

  When one of the thumbnail images is selected and dragged and dropped onto the image display area 22c, the dragged series including the thumbnail image is displayed as a series in the image display area 22c. At this time, the display state of a plurality of images included in one series is, for example, as shown in FIG. That is, the temporal examination images T1 to T4 that are associated as described above are displayed side by side.

  When executing the “aging display” menu, the cursor is first placed on one of a plurality of displayed images (in this example, the upper left temporal inspection image T3) as shown in FIG. 24 is right-clicked. Then, as shown in the figure, a window W1 for selecting “ROI (region of interest) setting”, “index value setting”, and “graph creation” is displayed. Therefore, when the left button of the mouse 24 is clicked with the cursor placed on "ROI setting", a window W2 for setting the ROI shape is displayed.

  Hereinafter, as described above, an operation in which the button of the mouse 24 is clicked in a state where the cursor is placed on a certain display XX is referred to as “XX is clicked with the mouse”. Further, even if the user does not click the left button of the mouse 24, it is possible to perform the same processing as when the user clicks only by moving the cursor to the display such as “ROI setting”. The description of the case where it is made is omitted, and only the case of clicking with the mouse will be described.

  Next, when one of the ROI shapes displayed in the window W2 is selected by clicking with the mouse 24, the mouse mode is changed to a mode for drawing the shape. That is, for example, as shown in the figure, when “ellipse ROI” is selected, the cursor 24 is placed at the position where the ROI of one display image is to be set, the left button of the mouse 24 is clicked, and the mouse 24 is dragged as it is. Then, an ellipse (including a perfect circle) inscribed in a rectangle whose two diagonals are the position reached by dragging and the clicked point is displayed on the screen. When the ellipse having the desired size and shape is displayed at the desired position, when the left button is released, the displayed ellipse is fixed and the display is left.

  Also, for example, when “rectangular ROI” is selected, the above-described rectangle is displayed as it is, and is displayed when the left button is released when the rectangle of the desired size and shape is displayed at the desired position. The rectangle is confirmed and the display remains. For example, when “freehand ROI” is selected, the locus of the cursor dragged while the left button of the mouse 24 is pressed is left as it is and displayed. For example, when “contour extraction” is selected, a window for selecting and inputting an extraction target such as “◎◎ lesioned part” and “Δ △ lesioned part” is further displayed, and the selected lesioned part is known. Are automatically extracted based on the program, and the contour of the extracted area is displayed as an ROI.

  The set ROI is desirably settable so that the setting can be canceled by operating a shortcut key for instructing processing cancellation (undo), for example. By doing so, it becomes possible to experimentally repeat the setting of the ROI several times and finally set the most appropriate ROI.

  As described above, when an ROI is set in any one of a plurality of images, in all other images (three images in this example) in which the image and the anatomical position are associated with each other, An ROI whose anatomical position is equivalent to the ROI is automatically set. FIG. 5 shows a state in which ROIs equivalent to each other are set in all display images. Shown here is an elliptical ROI as an example, which is indicated by “5” in the figure. In FIG. 5, the same elements as those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted unless necessary (the same applies hereinafter).

  When “index value setting” in window W1 is clicked with mouse 24 after this state is reached, another window W3 is displayed as shown in FIG. In this window W3, a plurality of index values related to ROI are displayed. When one of them is clicked with the mouse 24, an index value to be graphed is selected. In the example of FIG. 5, “area”, “outer circumference”, “maximum value”, “minimum value”, “average value”, and “standard deviation” can be selected as index values, and “maximum value” and “average value”. A state in which is selected and a check mark is given is shown. When the index value is thus selected, the selected index value is calculated for each ROI 5 of the four display images.

  Next, when “Create Graph” in the window W1 is clicked with the mouse 24, a graph window W4 is displayed in the image display area 22c as shown in FIG. In the graph window W4, the index values of the ROIs calculated as described above are displayed in a graph in the order of photographing time. That is, in this example, as described above, the shooting time points are April, March, February, and January. Therefore, the horizontal shooting time points are taken on the horizontal axis, and the index value in this case is “maximum”. Each graph is displayed with the “value” and “average value” on the vertical axis.

  At the same time, in the graph window W4, thumbnail images S1, S2, S3 and S4 indicating the portion including the ROI 5 of each display image are displayed. At this time, the positions of the thumbnail images S1, S2, S3, and S4 are set in the vicinity of the positions where the index values related to the month when each display image is captured are plotted on the graph. If such a display is made, the image interpretation doctor or the like who is the user can observe the state in the ROI indicated by the thumbnail images S1 to S4 while easily referring to the temporal change of the index value. Will be performed efficiently.

  As described above, in addition to displaying all thumbnail images S1 to S4 for each shooting time point at the same time, the thumbnail images may be displayed only when a display command is given. FIG. 7 shows an example of such a display form. Here, as an example, when the cursor C is placed at a position where an index value at a certain shooting time is plotted, it becomes a display command, and only one thumbnail image S1 is displayed in the vicinity of that position. It has become.

  As described above, the method of displaying a thumbnail image only when a display command is given is, for example, even when there are circumstances such as a large number of index values to be displayed in a graph in the graph window W4 or a wide range of values taken by the index values. There is an effect that a large space can be secured in the graph display. On the other hand, the method of displaying all the thumbnail images S1 to S4 simultaneously has an effect that the comparative observation becomes easy.

  In the present embodiment, the display format of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 in the graph window W4 can be changed as appropriate. Therefore, as an example, when any one of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 displayed in the graph window W4 is right-clicked with the mouse 24, a window W5 is displayed as shown in FIG. In this window W5, “gradation”, “enlargement”, “size”, “movement”, “paging”, and “image processing” are shown as display formats to be changed.

  When any of these display formats is selected by left-clicking with the mouse 24, the selected display format is changed in the thumbnail images S1 to S4. FIG. 8 shows a display state immediately after “enlarged” is left-clicked. That is, here, compared with the display state of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 before enlargement shown in FIG. 6, the display image is enlarged with the same display size. At this time, of course, the ROI 5 is also enlarged together with the image of the subject. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 7, when the graph window W4 is displayed, the display of a plurality of time-lapse examination images that have been displayed in the image display area 22c until then may be stopped.

  On the other hand, when the “size” of the window W5 is selected, the control point P1 is shown on the outline of one of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 as shown in the upper left graph window W4 in FIG. You are informed that you are in resize mode. Therefore, when one control point is dragged by the user's mouse operation, the sizes of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 are changed accordingly. In the figure, the case where the control point P1 at the upper right vertex of the rectangular thumbnail image S4 is dragged in the upper right direction and the image is enlarged is illustrated.

  When the size of one thumbnail image is changed in this way, the sizes of the other three thumbnail images are changed in the same manner. This size change is a change in the size of the display area, and the magnification of the display image is not changed. In addition, the thumbnail images S1 to S4 can be reduced in size by an operation of dragging the control points in the same manner as described above. In FIG. 9, the graph window W4 after the size change is shown is shown on the lower right side in the figure.

  As described above, the processing for changing the display format of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 can be executed in combination with a plurality of types. That is, in the graph window W4, when any one of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 after the display format change is right-clicked with the mouse 24, the above-described window W5 is displayed again. In this window W5, a display format to be changed is selected, and if a predetermined operation is performed according to the selected format, the display format is further changed.

  For example, when “gradation” is selected, the window level and the window width are changed by a mouse operation. As an example, a process of raising the window level by dragging the mouse upward and lowering the window level by dragging downward is performed. In addition, a process of expanding the window width by dragging in the right direction and narrowing the window width by dragging in the left direction is performed. These processes are performed in parallel for the thumbnail images S1 to S4.

  When “move” is selected, when an arbitrary point in one of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 is dragged by a mouse operation, the display area of the thumbnail image is entirely in the drag direction. Moving. For example, in the graph window W4 on the lower right side of FIG. 9, when it is desired to change the display area so that the ROI 5 exists in the center of the display area in the thumbnail image S4, an arbitrary point in the thumbnail image S4 is directed to the lower left. Dragged. When the display area of one thumbnail image is moved in this way, the display areas of the other three thumbnail images are also moved in the same manner.

  “Paging” is a process of page-feeding a plurality of thumbnail images S1 to S4 when each representative image represents one representative image. That is, when this “paging” is selected, for example, when a wheel (not shown) of the mouse 24 is rotated in one direction, a process of sending the display page from the nth page to the (n + 1) th page side is performed. When rotated in the other direction, the display page is sent from the nth page to the (n-1) th page. These processes are performed in parallel for the thumbnail images S1 to S4. Examples of the plurality of images as described above include a plurality of tomographic images having different cross-sectional positions.

  When “image processing” is selected, a window W6 for selecting the type of image processing is newly displayed as shown in the lower right graph window W4 in FIG. Then, one of the types of image processing (in this example, “sharpening”, “smoothing”, “addition average MPVR”, and “maximum value projection MIP”) shown in this window W6 is clicked by the mouse 24. When selected, the selected image processing is performed on the thumbnail images S1 to S4, and the thumbnail display image is changed to that after the image processing.

  Note that the “addition average MPVR” is a plurality of images G1, G2,... As shown in FIG. 10 when the display image in each of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 is a representative image in the plurality of tomographic images. A process of averaging each pixel value (density value, etc.) relating to pixels px1, px2,..., Pxn at positions corresponding to Gn, and using the added average value as a representative value for the pixel at the position is performed on all the pixels in the image plane. This process is performed for pixels and forms one image with these representative values. The “maximum value projection MIP” is a process for obtaining a maximum value instead of obtaining the above-described average value and constructing one image with the maximum value.

  Further, when performing the “sharpening” or “smoothing” processing, the degree of the processing can be controlled by operating the wheel of the mouse 24 as described above.

  As described above, if the display format of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 can be changed, the thumbnail images S1 to S4 can be made more suitable for observation interpretation.

  Note that the display format changing process described above may be performed on the temporal inspection images T1 to T4 that are the extraction sources in addition to the thumbnail images S1 to S4. Further, the display format changing process may be performed only on the time-lapse inspection images T1 to T4.

  Next, ROI correction will be described with reference to FIG. When the mouse 24 is right-clicked with the cursor placed on any of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 (thumbnail image S4 in this example) shown in the graph window W4, the graph window W4 as shown in FIG. Inside, a window W5 similar to that described above is displayed. When the menu “ROI correction” shown in this window W5 is selected by clicking with the mouse 24, the thumbnail image S4 on which the cursor is placed is inscribed with some points on the ROI 5. A control point P2 is indicated on the rectangular outline to inform the user that the ROI correction mode has been entered.

  Therefore, when one control point P2 is dragged by the user's mouse operation, the size of the ROI 5 is changed accordingly. The example shown in FIG. 11 shows a case where the control point P2 of the lower left vertex of the rectangle is dragged downward and the rectangle is enlarged. When the rectangle is enlarged in this manner, the elliptical ROI 5 is also enlarged so as to maintain a state inscribed in the rectangle. At this time, depending on the drag direction, the elliptical ROI 5 can be enlarged so as to be similar before and after the change, or can be enlarged so that the shape of the ellipse changes.

  When the ROI 5 is corrected in one thumbnail image S4 as described above, the ROI 5 is corrected in the same manner in the other thumbnail images S1 to S3, and the display of the ROI 5 in the thumbnail images S1 to S4 is all corrected. Can be changed. In addition, index values (maximum value and average value in this example) regarding the corrected ROI 5 of the thumbnail images S1 to S4 are newly obtained, and the display of the graph is also changed to one indicating those new index values. When the menu “print” shown in the window W5 is selected by clicking the mouse 24 as necessary, the image displayed in the image display area 22c is printed.

  If the display of the ROI 5 and the graph is controlled as described above, the image interpreting doctor who is the user can observe the corrected state in the ROI while easily referring to the temporal change of the index value. Interpretation work is performed efficiently.

  Note that the ROI 5 can be reduced by the method of moving the control point P2 as described above. Further, the method of changing the size and shape of the ROI 5 by moving the control point P2 is not limited to the case where the ROI 5 is an ellipse, but also when the ROI 5 is a rectangle, a freehand shape, or even a lesioned part. The present invention can also be applied to the case where the outline of the part is automatically recognized.

  In the above description, the processing for correcting the size and shape of the ROI 5 has been described. However, the correction of the ROI 5 may be processing for changing the planar position or processing for changing the position in the depth direction. In the “process for changing the position in the depth direction”, the thumbnail images S1 to S4 are each representative image 1 of the plurality of images for ROI setting, as in the case of the “paging” process described above. When the plurality of images are a plurality of tomographic images, a tomographic image having a different position in the depth direction is applied as the representative image for ROI setting instead of the tomographic image displayed so far. It is processing. In this case, the tomographic image may be a tomographic image actually acquired by photographing, or a tomographic image at an intermediate position obtained by interpolation processing from two actually photographed tomographic images. May be.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a plurality of time-lapse examination images and graphs are displayed on one display 22, but they may be displayed on different image display means.

  A program for causing a computer to execute the procedure of the image display method according to the present invention described above is also one embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, a computer-readable recording medium in which such a program is recorded is one embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Modality 2 Image interpretation workstation 3 Image server 4 Image database 21 Processing apparatus 22 Display 22c Display image display area 23 Keyboard 24 Mouse 25 Input means P1, P2 Control point S1-S4 Thumbnail image T1-T4 Time-lapse inspection image W4 Graph window

Claims (10)

After a plurality of time-lapse examination images obtained by photographing the same subject made of a living body at different points in time and associated with each other in an anatomical position, a region of interest of each image and an index value related thereto are displayed. An image display method,
Displaying the plurality of time-lapse examination images on an image display means;
Set a region of interest in one of the displayed images,
A region of interest having an anatomical position equivalent to the set region of interest is automatically set in the remaining images, and a predetermined index value is obtained for each region of interest.
A graph showing those index values arranged in order of image capturing time, and a thumbnail image obtained by extracting a part including the region of interest from the time-lapse examination image is displayed on the image display means,
When one region of interest is modified and a new region of interest is set, the remaining region of interest is modified in the same manner, and the predetermined index value for each modified region of interest is newly obtained,
An image display method, wherein the display of the graph and the thumbnail image is changed to a display of the newly obtained index value graph and a thumbnail image relating to a new region of interest, respectively.   The image display method according to claim 1, wherein the process of correcting the region of interest is a process of changing at least one of a size, a planar position, a position in a depth direction, and a shape.   The image display method according to claim 1, wherein the process of correcting the region of interest is performed by an operation on the displayed temporal examination image or the thumbnail image.   4. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein all the thumbnail images are displayed simultaneously with a graph in the vicinity of a position on the graph where an index value for a region of interest indicated by the thumbnail image is plotted. 5. .   4. The thumbnail image according to claim 1, wherein only one thumbnail image is displayed in the vicinity of a position on the graph where an index value for a region of interest indicated by the thumbnail image is plotted when a display command is given. 2. An image display method according to item 1.   The image display method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the shape of the region of interest is set to a rectangle, an ellipse, a freehand shape, or an outline of a portion automatically recognized as a lesioned part.   The image display method according to claim 1, wherein a display format of the time-inspected image and / or thumbnail image can be changed.   The process of changing the display format includes a process of changing the size of an image, a process of changing a display magnification, a process of changing a planar position, a process of changing a position in the depth direction, and a process of changing to an image after image processing. The image display method according to claim 7, which is at least one of the following. An image display method for displaying a region of interest of each image and an index value related thereto for a plurality of time-lapse examination images obtained by photographing the same subject at different points in time and associated with each other in anatomical positions Because
Displaying the plurality of time-lapse examination images on an image display means;
Set a region of interest in one of the displayed images,
A region of interest having an anatomical position equivalent to the set region of interest is automatically set in the remaining images, and a predetermined index value is obtained for each region of interest.
A graph showing those index values arranged in order of image capturing time, and a thumbnail image obtained by extracting a part including the region of interest from the time-lapse examination image is displayed on the image display means,
When one region of interest is modified and a new region of interest is set, the remaining region of interest is modified in the same manner, and the predetermined index value for each modified region of interest is newly obtained,
A program for causing a computer to execute an image display method in which the display of the graph and the thumbnail image is changed to the display of the newly obtained index value graph and the display of the thumbnail image relating to the new region of interest, respectively. After a plurality of time-lapse examination images obtained by photographing the same subject made of a living body at different points in time and associated with each other in an anatomical position, a region of interest of each image and an index value related thereto are displayed. An image display device,
One or more image display means; and
Displaying the plurality of time-lapse examination images on the image display means;
When a region of interest is set in one of the displayed plurality of images, a region of interest having an anatomical position equivalent to the set region of interest is automatically set in the remaining images, and for each region of interest Find a given index value,
A graph showing the index values arranged in order of image capturing time, and a thumbnail image obtained by extracting a part including the region of interest from the time-lapse examination image is displayed on the image display means,
When one region of interest is modified and a new region of interest is set, the remaining region of interest is modified in the same manner, and the predetermined index value for each modified region of interest is newly obtained,
An image display device comprising: display control means for changing the display of the graph and the thumbnail image into the display of the newly obtained index value graph and the display of the thumbnail image relating to the new region of interest, respectively.

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