JP2018138087A - Ultrasonic image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To give higher priority to observation of an ultrasonic image at the normal time in a case of displaying comment information on the ultrasonic image and give higher priority to reference of the comment information at the time of comment reference.SOLUTION: When an original comment displayed so as to be superimposed on an ultrasonic image is selected, detail display control is executed. Namely, a pop-up window 80 is displayed in the vicinity of the original comment. The pop-up window 80 includes one or a plurality of additional comments 86, 90 associated with the original comment. When the selection of the original comment is released, simple display control is executed, and a state is returned to such a state that only the original comment is displayed. The simple display control and the detail display control can be selectively applied to a dynamic image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic image processing apparatus, and more particularly to management and display of comment information.

  The ultrasonic image processing apparatus is an apparatus having a function of processing an ultrasonic image as a medical image, and is configured as an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an information processing apparatus, an ultrasonic image management system, and the like. In the following, the processing of comment information added to an ultrasound image will be described using an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus as an example.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is an apparatus that forms an ultrasonic image based on a reception signal obtained by transmitting / receiving ultrasonic waves to / from a subject. A comment is added to the ultrasonic image as necessary. The comment is text information such as a character string, a word, or a sentence representing an organization name, an observation direction, a finding or the like. Comments are also called annotations. Related information may be displayed along with comments.

  Typically, the comment is inserted at an arbitrary coordinate on the ultrasonic image (see Patent Document 1, superimposed display method). In that case, a part or all of the comment is superimposed and displayed on the ultrasonic image. If a long comment is entered, the observation of the ultrasound image is hindered, and therefore, only a short comment is usually allowed. In addition, after the ultrasonic image is stored or after the ultrasonic image is transferred, the addition and correction of the comment may be restricted. From such a background, it is difficult to sequentially input a plurality of comments by a plurality of observers (examination technicians, doctors in charge, specialist doctors, etc.) and share those comments among related parties.

  It is also conceivable to display another relatively large window below or next to the window displaying the ultrasonic image and display a plurality of comments in the other window (separate display method). In that case, a display space for comments must be secured in the display screen, and the window for displaying the ultrasonic image becomes small. That is, the ultrasonic image must be reduced and displayed.

  In the system disclosed in Patent Document 2, the above-described separation display method is adopted. Specifically, in this system, another window is displayed on the left side of the window in which the medical image is displayed in a non-overlapping relationship with the window, and a plurality of comments are displayed in the other window. According to the system, it is possible to refer to a plurality of comments sequentially input by a plurality of persons. However, it becomes necessary to secure a certain amount of display space for displaying another window in a finite display screen.

  Patent Document 3 also discloses the separation display method. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 3, another window is displayed in a non-overlapping relationship below the window in which the ultrasonic image is displayed, and the findings are displayed in the other window. .

JP-A-2006-2405 JP 2014-210134 A JP 2006-141903 A

  In an ultrasonic image processing apparatus, it is required to accept an input of an additional comment after the input of an original comment, or a sequential input of a plurality of comments by a plurality of observers. However, assuming that comments are displayed on an ultrasonic image as an overlay, if a plurality of comments are continuously displayed, there will be a problem in observing the ultrasonic image.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a user-friendly ultrasonic image processing apparatus. Alternatively, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic image processing apparatus capable of giving priority to observation of an ultrasonic image during normal times and giving priority to reference to comment information when referring to comments.

  The embodiment of the ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to the present invention manages coordinate information representing the specific coordinates and contents of additional comments associated with the original comments for each original comment associated with the specific coordinates on the ultrasonic image. A non-selection source comment that is not selected by the user and a simple display control that displays the non-selection source comment together with the ultrasonic image and does not display an additional comment associated with the non-selection source comment. The selection source comment selected by the user includes display control means for applying detailed display control for displaying the selection source comment and an additional comment associated with the selection source comment together with the ultrasonic image.

  According to the above configuration, when the original comment is not selected, the simplified display control is applied to the original comment (non-selected original comment), and when the original comment is selected, the original comment (selected source comment) is selected. Detailed display control is applied. That is, the display mode of comment information, in particular, whether or not to display an additional comment is switched according to a user instruction. Since the comment information simplified is displayed in the normal time, the area of the portion hidden by the comment information can be reduced. Since the original comment is displayed in normal times, certain information can be obtained by referring to the original comment. On the other hand, when the original comment is selected, one or more additional comments associated with the original comment are additionally displayed together with the original comment. As a result, detailed comment information can be obtained. In that case, comment information input by a plurality of persons can be easily shared by the plurality of persons.

  As described above, by switching between simple display and detailed display of comment information according to the situation, both the observation of the ultrasonic image and the reference of the non-image information are made compatible while maintaining the size of the ultrasonic image. It becomes possible.

  In the above configuration, the ultrasonic image is a still image or a moving image. An additional comment may be displayed for a limited time in the moving image. Since the original comment functions as a symbol of the comment information, it is desirable to control the original comment so that it is always displayed, but it may be displayed for a limited time. The above configuration is based on the premise that at least a part or all of the original comment is superimposed and displayed on the ultrasonic image. Although the original comment may be merged (integrated) with the ultrasonic image, it is better to manage the original comment as text information in order to enable subsequent editing of the original comment. The same applies to additional comments. When focusing on the relationship between the original comment and the additional comment, the original comment is a parent comment and a representative comment, and the additional comment is a child comment and a subordinate comment. Note that a modified example in which detailed display control is automatically applied to an original comment that satisfies a certain condition even if no user selection is made can be considered.

  In the embodiment, the display control means displays a pop-up window in the detailed display control, and displays an additional comment associated with the selection source comment in the pop-up window. According to this configuration, the additional comment is displayed using a temporary display area called a pop-up window. The pop-up window may be displayed near the original comment. In that case, a part or all of the pop-up window is usually superimposed and displayed on the ultrasonic image. Therefore, it is desirable to display the pop-up window so that the pop-up window does not cover the central portion (generally the portion to be observed) of the ultrasonic image (at a position avoiding the central portion). That is, it is desirable to change the display position of the pop-up window according to the display position of the original comment on the ultrasonic image. On the other hand, the pop-up window can be displayed at a position (non-superimposed position) avoiding the ultrasonic image. In that case, it is desirable to display guidance such as a leader line indicating the correspondence between the original comment and the pop-up window.

  In the embodiment, the display control means further displays at least one of information indicating a creation time of the additional comment and information indicating a creator of the additional comment in the pop-up window. When a plurality of comments are sequentially entered by a plurality of persons, it is desirable to add the attribute information as described above for each comment.

  In the embodiment, the display control means executes a display process for visually identifying the original comment with the additional comment and the original comment without the additional comment. If such display processing is not performed, the presence or absence of the additional comment cannot be determined unless the observer tries to select the original comment. Such an operation is complicated. In some cases, you may miss the opportunity to refer to important additional comments. On the other hand, according to the above configuration, it is possible to immediately recognize whether or not the original comment is accompanied by an additional comment when referring to the original comment.

  In the embodiment, the management unit includes an editing unit that edits the original comment and the additional comment based on the user input. Editing authority may be managed for each observer. It is desirable that the comment information can be processed after the ultrasonic image is stored or transferred.

  In the embodiment, the ultrasonic image is a moving image, the management unit manages a display period for each additional comment, and the display control unit performs the display based on the display period for each additional comment in the detailed display control. Control the display of additional comments. In the embodiment, the display control unit determines whether or not to display based on a display period for each additional comment, or changes a display mode.

  The embodiment of the display control method according to the present invention includes a step of managing the coordinate information representing the specific coordinates for each original comment associated with the specific coordinates on the ultrasonic image and the content of the additional comment associated with the original comment. For a non-selected source comment that is not selected by the user, the simplified display control is applied to display the non-selected source comment together with the ultrasound image and not to display the additional comment associated with the non-selected source comment. Applying detailed display control for displaying the selected source comment and an additional comment associated with the selected source comment together with the ultrasound image for the selected source comment. This display control method can be realized by the function of the program. The program is installed in an ultrasonic image processing apparatus as an information processing apparatus via a storage medium or a network.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prioritize observation of an ultrasonic image during normal times and prioritize reference to comment information when referring to comments. Alternatively, according to the present invention, the observation of the ultrasonic image and the comment information can be performed by combining the constant display of the original comment and the temporary display of the additional comment, in other words, by adaptively changing the size of the comment information display space. Can be compatible.

It is a block diagram which shows the medical system which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 1st structural example of a management table. It is a figure which shows the comment designation | designated by a user. It is a figure which shows a pop-up window. It is a figure which shows entry of an additional comment. It is a figure which shows entry of the 2nd additional comment. It is a figure which shows the other example of a pop-up window. It is a figure which shows the 1st example of the identification display of an original comment. It is a figure which shows the 2nd example of the identification display of an original comment. It is a figure which shows the transcription | transfer of the additional comment to an inspection report. It is a figure which shows taking in of the measured value to a popup window. It is a figure which shows the 2nd structural example of a management table. It is a figure which shows the 1st example of a display of the additional comment information added to the moving image. It is a figure which shows the 2nd example of a display of the additional comment information added to the moving image. It is a figure which shows the 3rd example of a display of the additional comment information added to the moving image. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example at the time of a display and edit of additional comment information.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of an ultrasonic imaging system according to the present invention. The system is installed in medical institutions. The system includes an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10, a server 12, and a PC 14 in the illustrated example. They are connected to each other via a network 16. The server 12 is an information processing apparatus that manages medical images, and the PC 14 is an information processing apparatus that includes a viewer for observing medical images. The ultrasonic image generated in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is transferred from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 to the server 12, and the ultrasonic image is managed in the server 12. The ultrasonic image managed in the server 12 can be referred to in the PC 14.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 described below functions as an ultrasonic image processing apparatus. A comment processing function (comment management function, comment display function, etc.) installed in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 may be installed in the server 12 and the PC 14. Of course, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 may be used alone.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is an apparatus that forms an ultrasonic image based on a reception signal obtained by transmitting / receiving ultrasonic waves to / from a living body. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 has a probe 18. The probe 18 is a portable handset. In this embodiment, the probe 18 has an array transducer including a plurality of transducer elements arranged one-dimensionally along a straight line or a curve. An ultrasonic beam 22 is formed by the array transducer, and the ultrasonic beam 22 is electronically scanned. Thereby, a beam scanning surface 20 as an observation surface is formed. In FIG. 1, r indicates the depth direction, and θ indicates the electronic scanning direction. As an electronic scanning method, an electronic sector scanning method, an electronic linear scanning method, and the like are known. A three-dimensional data capture space may be formed by two-dimensional scanning with an ultrasonic beam, and volume data may be obtained from the space.

  The transmission / reception unit 24 is an electronic circuit that functions as a transmission beam former and a reception beam former. At the time of transmission, the transmission / reception unit 24 outputs a plurality of transmission signals in parallel to the array transducer. As a result, a transmission beam is formed. At the time of reception, the reflected wave from the living body is received by the array transducer. As a result, a plurality of received signals are output in parallel from the array transducer to the transmitting / receiving unit 24. The transmission / reception unit 24 converts each of the plurality of reception signals into a digital signal, and then delay-adds the plurality of digital reception signals (phased addition), thereby generating beam data. A plurality of beam data arranged in the electronic scanning direction are acquired by one electronic scanning. They constitute a received frame. Each beam data is composed of a plurality of echo data arranged in the depth direction.

  The beam data processing unit 26 is an electronic circuit that processes individual beam data. Specifically, the beam data processing unit 26 has a plurality of data processing functions corresponding to a plurality of operation modes, and includes, for example, a quadrature detection circuit, an amplitude calculation circuit, a logarithmic conversion circuit, a filter circuit, a correlation circuit, and the like. . The processed beam data is sent to the ultrasonic image forming unit 30. The beam data may be output in parallel to a first cine memory not shown (see reference numeral 28).

  The ultrasonic image forming unit 30 is an electronic circuit including a digital scan converter (DSC). The DSC has a coordinate conversion function, an interpolation function, a frame rate adjustment function, and the like. The coordinate conversion function is a function that converts, for example, rθ coordinates (polar coordinates) into xy coordinates (orthogonal coordinates). For example, when the B mode is selected, a tomographic image (B mode image) is formed from the received frame by DSC. Ultrasonic image data is sent to the image composition unit 32. The ultrasonic image data may be output in parallel to a second cine memory not shown (see reference numeral 31).

  The image composition unit 32 has a function of composing a display image by compositing an ultrasonic image and an information image as a reference image or a non-ultrasonic image. The display device 49 is configured by, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display device. B-mode images, M-mode images, CFM images, Doppler waveform images, harmonic imaging images, elasticity information images, and the like are known as ultrasonic images. A display image including an ultrasonic image is displayed on the screen of the display device 49.

  The control unit 34 includes a CPU and an operation program. The control unit 34 controls the operation of each structure shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, some typical functions among a plurality of functions of the control unit 34 are expressed as a plurality of blocks. The information image generation unit 36 is a module that generates an information image including comment information, graphic information, and the like. An information image is an image combined with an ultrasonic image as described above. The display control unit 38 functions as display control means, and is a module that controls the display of comment information. The control includes simple display control that is executed when the original comment is not selected, and detailed display control that is executed when the original comment is selected. Each will be described in detail later. The communication unit 40 is a module for communicating with other devices via the network 16.

  The comment management unit 42 functions as a management unit, and specifically is a module that manages comment information using the management table 48. The comment management unit 42 also functions as an editor (editing means) for comment information. The storage unit 46 is configured by a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, or the like, and a management table 48 is stored therein. The management table 48 is a table for managing comment information for each ultrasonic image. The comment information is generally display information including the content of the original comment, the content of the additional comment, information related to the additional comment, and the like. Whether or not to associate an additional comment with the original comment is arbitrary, and when performing the association, an arbitrary number of additional comments can be associated. The management table 48 also includes non-display information such as coordinate information used in display control of comment information. Reference numeral 43 indicates an input of an electrocardiogram signal. In displaying a moving image of the heart, it is possible to specify a heartbeat time phase by analyzing an electrocardiographic waveform.

  The operation panel 44 is an input device having a plurality of buttons, a plurality of knobs, a keyboard, a trackball, and the like. For example, a cursor displayed on the screen is moved using a trackball. By such an operation, the original comment can be selected to form a selected state, and the selected state can be canceled to return to the normal state (non-selected state). When the selected state continues for a predetermined time, it may be automatically returned to the normal state. An unselected original comment can be referred to as a non-selected original comment, and a selected original comment can be referred to as a selected source comment.

  FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the management table 48. The management table 48 has a plurality of records 50. One record 50 is configured for one ultrasonic image (still image in the illustrated example). Each record 50 includes an image ID 52 as an image identifier, location information (URL) 54 indicating the location of the image, and related information 56. In the illustrated example, the related information 56 includes examination information (examination date, examination organization, etc.) 58 and subject information (name, sex, age, etc.) 60 displayed around the ultrasonic image. The related information 56 further includes information (operation mode, transmission frequency, etc.) indicating an operation condition (not shown).

  In the present embodiment, the related information 56 includes original comment information 62 and additional comment information 64 and 66. The additional comment information 64 and 66 is information generated when an additional comment is added to the original comment afterwards. Any number of additional comments can be added within the upper limit.

  The original comment information 62 includes representative coordinates of the original comment, area information for specifying an area defined for the original comment, text data constituting the content of the original comment, information indicating a person who created the original comment, and date and time when the original comment was created And the like, etc. are included. They are exemplary. Each of the additional comment information 64 and 66 includes text data constituting the content of the additional comment, information indicating the person who created the additional comment, information indicating the creation date and time of the additional comment, and the like. They are also exemplary.

  The comment management unit 42 shown in FIG. 1 manages the contents of the management table 48 as described above, and comment information is added, deleted, or modified by the comment management unit 42. The above-described operation panel 44 is used for entering a former comment and adding an additional comment. The creator name, creation date and time, etc. may be automatically registered on the management table 48.

  In the present embodiment, the original comment is managed as text information separately from the ultrasonic image, but it is also possible to adopt a mode in which the original comment is embedded as a part of the ultrasonic image. In this case, information indicating the position of the original comment, association information between the original comment and the additional comment, and the like are managed. The same applies to the additional comments, but it is desirable that the additional comments be managed as text information separately from the ultrasound image for the convenience of subsequent editing.

  Next, a specific example of comment processing by the comment management unit 42 and the display control unit 38 will be described.

  FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 show operation examples when adding an additional comment. In FIG. 3, an ultrasonic image 72 is displayed on the display screen 70. An ultrasonic image 72 is displayed over the entire display screen 70. The illustrated ultrasonic image 72 is a black and white tomographic image as a still image, and has a fan-shaped (sector-shaped) form. That is, the tomographic image is an image generated by electronic sector scanning. An information image including various types of information is also displayed along with the ultrasonic image. The information image includes an original comment 74 as a word, a character string, or a document. The entity of the original comment 74 is, for example, an organ name or a finding. The original comment 74 can be entered at an arbitrary position (position designated by the user) on the ultrasonic image. Typically, the original comment 74 is written on or near the site of interest. In that case, the original comment 74 is usually displayed in a state where all or a part of the original comment 74 is superimposed on the ultrasonic image 72. You may comprise so that the user can designate the size, color, etc. of the character which comprises the original comment 74. FIG. A plurality of original comments 74 may be entered in one ultrasonic image.

  In FIG. 3, an original comment area 76 that includes the original comment 74 is defined. For example, the original comment area 76 is automatically defined based on the representative coordinates (for example, first character coordinates, intermediate coordinates) of the original comment 74, the number or width of the original comment 74, the size of characters constituting the original comment 74, and the like. The The original comment area 76 itself is not displayed, but a frame indicating the original comment area 76 may be displayed.

  When the cursor 78 is moved on the display screen 70 using a trackball or the like and the designated coordinates by the cursor 78 belong to the original comment area 76, the original comment 74 is automatically selected, as shown in FIG. Then, a pop-up window 80 is displayed. The pop-up window 80 is a sub-window or a small window that appears temporarily. Usually, its display position is not fixed, and it depends on the display position of the original comment 74. The pop-up window 80 and the information contained therein also form part of the information image.

  Specifically, in FIG. 4, the pop-up window 80 is displayed in the vicinity of the original comment 74, and more specifically, is displayed diagonally to the lower right of the original comment 74. The pop-up window 80 has a comment field 81 and a button 82 for confirming the editing result. FIG. 4 shows a state before an additional comment is added to the original comment 74, and the comment column 81 is blank. Note that the cursor may be displayed constantly, or the cursor may be displayed again when the trackball or the like is moved.

  In FIG. 5, an additional comment 86 is entered in the comment field 81 by the user. In that case, a keyboard or the like is used. The substance of the additional comment 86 is a finding, an opinion, and the like. When the input person of the additional comment 86 can be automatically recognized, the creator name 84 is automatically entered together with the additional comment 86. Of course, the creator name 84 may be input manually. Instead of or in addition to the creator name, the creation date and time (creation time information) may be automatically input. Furthermore, other information may be entered along with additional comments 86. After the input of the additional comment 86 is completed, the cursor 78 is moved onto the button 82 and an enter operation is performed, thereby confirming the additional comment 86 and information related thereto and registering them in the management table. The input of the comment information as described above is executed, for example, in the display state of the ultrasonic image (still image) read from the cine memory.

  FIG. 6 shows an additional comment display. When the original comment is in the selected state, if one or more additional comments are associated with the original comment, detailed display control is executed. Specifically, a pop-up window 80 shown in FIG. 6 is displayed. The comment field 81 of the pop-up window 80 includes a plurality of additional comments 86 and 90, and also includes a plurality of creator names 84 and 88 representing a plurality of persons who input them. In this state, the contents of the comment field 81 can be added, deleted, modified, etc. as necessary. By operating the button 82 after the editing is completed, the content of the comment field 81 is confirmed.

  As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to add an arbitrary number of additional comments to the original comment. Therefore, it is possible to observe an additional comment added to the original comment afterwards, a plurality of comments sequentially input by a plurality of observers, and the like according to the situation.

  Simplified display control is executed in a non-selected state where the original comment is not selected. That is, only the original comment is displayed among the original comment and the additional comment. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the portion of the ultrasonic image that is hidden by the comment information and prioritize observation of the ultrasonic image. Of course, even in that case, since the original comment is displayed, it is possible to obtain necessary information regarding the ultrasonic image through the original comment.

  On the other hand, in the selected state in which the original comment is selected, detailed display control is executed. That is, one or a plurality of additional comments associated with the original comment can appear on the screen. It is possible to obtain detailed information about the ultrasound image through such additional information. When displaying one or more additional comments, a relatively large portion is hidden by the pop-up window, but such a state is temporary, that is, if the selection is canceled, the detailed display is simplified. Since the display is returned, it is possible to achieve both observation of an ultrasonic image and reference to related information.

  A timer may be started from the time of selecting the original icon, and when a certain state such as no input in the comment field has elapsed for a certain period of time, the detailed display may be automatically returned to the simplified display. This eliminates the need for deselection. Of course, the user may specify whether or not to display the original comment and whether or not to display the pop-up window.

  It is desirable to change the display position of the pop-up window according to the display position of the original comment on the ultrasonic image. In general, the target portion in the ultrasonic image is the central portion of the ultrasonic image. Therefore, when the center of the original comment is located on the right side of the center line of the ultrasound image (in the case of rightward display), for example, a pop-up window is displayed diagonally to the lower right of the original comment. When the center of the original comment is located on the left side in the sound wave image (in the case of left-side display), for example, a pop-up window may be displayed diagonally to the left of the original comment. If a pop-up window is displayed below the original comment, the comment description order and the comment display order can be matched between a plurality of comments including the original comment.

  When the display position of the pop-up window is adaptively changed, if there is not enough space for pop-up window display below the original comment, the pop-up window may be displayed on the upper right or upper left of the original comment. . In the case of an ultrasonic image having a fan shape, empty spaces are likely to occur in the upper right and upper left of the ultrasonic image, and such empty spaces are used. When the thumbnail image sequence is displayed together with the ultrasonic image, a pop-up window may be displayed in a manner of overlapping the thumbnail image sequence.

  It is desirable that the contents of the pop-up window can be edited after storing the ultrasonic image and after transferring the ultrasonic image. What is necessary is just to comprise so that the corresponding record information in a management table may be stored or transferred with an ultrasonic image at the time of storing or transferring an ultrasonic image. According to such a configuration, when reviewing an ultrasound image after storage or transfer, detailed comment information can be referred to and edited as necessary.

  FIG. 7 shows another display example of the pop-up window. The pop-up window 91 is displayed in an empty space generated adjacent to the ultrasonic image 72. As a result, a non-overlapping relationship is generated between the pop-up window 91 and the ultrasonic image 72. Such a display mode is effective in observing the ultrasonic image 72. In order to show the correspondence between the original comment 74 and the pop-up window 91, a leader line 92 connecting the two is also displayed. You may employ | adopt the other guidance display which shows a correspondence. In the display example shown in FIG. 7, the original comment 74 is superimposed on the ultrasonic image 72, but the pop-up window 91 is non-superimposed (separately displayed), which is advantageous for observation of the ultrasonic image 72. is there. Of course, when it is desired to display an ultrasonic image in a large size, it is desirable to employ the neighborhood display shown in FIG.

  The identification display will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 8, a mark 94 is displayed at the head of the original comment 74. This mark 94 indicates that there is an additional comment associated with the original comment 74. In other words, it can be intuitively recognized that there is no additional comment associated with the original comment not accompanied by the mark 94. That is, the presence or absence of an additional comment can be visually identified using the presence or absence of the mark 94.

  In the example shown in FIG. 9, the identification process is performed on the original comment 74A, thereby asserting the presence of the additional comment. In this case, the identification processing includes high brightness, specific color expression, font size expansion, and the like. If such identification display is not performed, the presence or absence of an additional comment is not known unless the original comment is selected, and the operation is complicated. According to the identification display, it is not necessary to perform such an operation, so that the burden on the user can be reduced.

  Next, some application examples will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, a mechanism is adopted in which information (including one or more additional comments) 98 in a pop-up window 96 is manually or automatically transferred to an inspection report 100 as an electronic document. May be. There is also a comment field 102 in the inspection report 100, and information 98A is copied there. A reverse copy is also possible.

  In FIG. 11, the pop-up window 96 includes a comment field 96A and a measurement field 96B. When a specific measurement name 106 is input in the measurement column 96B, the corresponding measurement value 104 in the inspection report 100 is automatically transferred to the measurement column 96B. The measured value after the transcription is indicated by reference numeral 104A. The same applies to other measurement values. The same transcription as described above may be performed not from the inspection report 100 but from the measurement value database.

  Next, adding comment information to a moving image will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 12 illustrates a management table 48A used when performing the processing. The management table 48A is composed of a plurality of records 110, similarly to the management table shown in FIG. Each record 110 corresponds to one moving image.

  Specifically, each record 110 includes a moving image ID 112, location information 114, related information 116, and the like. The related information 116 includes original comment information 118 and additional comment information 120 and 122. The original comment information 118 includes a display period 118a in addition to representative coordinates, area information, text data, creator information, and creation date / time information. The display period 118a for the original comment specifies a period during which the original comment is displayed. For example, the display period is specified as a start frame number and an end frame number, specified as a heartbeat period, or specified by other methods. For example, the time from the reference time and the heart rate may be specified. The start frame number and the end frame number may be converted from the identified information and registered on the management table. However, the original comment is basically always displayed in the moving image as well as the still image. Therefore, normally, the display period 118a is not specified, or the entire period is specified as the display period 118a.

  The additional comment information 120, 122 includes display periods 120a, 122a in addition to representative coordinates, area information, text data, creator information, creation date information. The display period 120a defines a period for displaying the first additional comment, and the period is specified by the frame number, the heartbeat time phase, and the like. The same applies to the display period 122a.

  The display period can be specified for each additional comment, that is, the timing at which it is displayed for each additional comment can be individually controlled. For example, when an ultrasound image of the heart is displayed, a character string indicating the left ventricle is inserted as the original comment, a finding about the systole is entered as the first additional comment, and a text about the diastole is entered as the second additional comment. Findings are filled in. In that case, another additional comment is displayed in the systole and the diastole. Since the heartbeat time phase can be specified based on the electrocardiogram signal, additional comments may be periodically displayed for a specific period over a plurality of heartbeat cycles based on the heartbeat time phase. Alternatively, an additional comment may be displayed only for a specific period in which a disease such as reflux is observed. However, the display order and display mode of the additional comments may be changed according to the display period. When a plurality of original comments are inserted for a certain moving image, a plurality of records are registered on the management table in relation to the moving image. A minimum (shortest) time may be determined for the display period.

  FIG. 13 shows a first example of comment processing for a moving image. The horizontal axis is the time axis. In the illustrated example, three additional comments 126, 128, and 130 are associated with the original comment. T1, T2, and T3 are determined as the respective display periods. Here, there is a relationship of T1 <T2 <T3. For the sake of explanation, it is assumed that the selection state of the original comment is continued. In the display period T1, three additional comments 126, 128, and 130 are displayed in the pop-up window 124A. When the display period T1 is exceeded, the contents of the pop-up window change (see reference numeral 124B), the additional comments 128 and 130 are moved up and displayed as they are, and the additional comment 126 outside the display period is added to the additional comment 128. , 130 is displayed translucently. When the display period T2 is exceeded, the contents of the pop-up window further change (see reference numeral 124C), the additional comment 130 is moved up and displayed as it is, and the additional comments 126 and 128 outside the display period are added comments. It is displayed translucently along the lower side of 130. In this way, by setting the display period individually for each additional comment, it is possible to control the time or time zone when the additional comment should be referred to.

  A second example shown in FIG. 14 may be adopted instead of the first example shown in FIG. That is, as indicated by reference numerals 124A, 124D, and 124E, additional comments that have passed the display period may be completely deleted.

  FIG. 15 shows a third example. On the display screen 132, a main area 132A and a sub area 132B below the main area 132A are set. Currently in the selected state, a pop-up window 138 is displayed in the main area 132A in addition to the ultrasonic image and the original comment. An electrocardiographic waveform 134 including an R wave is displayed in the sub area 132B. In addition, a graph 136 indicating the display period for each additional comment as a graphic is displayed in the sub-region 132B. The graph 136 includes a bar 136a indicating the display period of the first additional comment 140 and a bar 136b indicating the display period of the second additional comment 140. Both ends of each bar 136a, 136b correspond to the start and end of the display period. The moving line 144 shows the time phase corresponding to the displayed frame.

  Within the period specified by the bar 136a, as shown in FIG. 15, the first additional comment 140 is displayed in a standard manner in the pop-up window 138, but the second additional comment 142 is translucent. Displayed in a manner. On the other hand, within the period specified by the bar 136b, the first additional comment 140 is displayed in a translucent manner and the second additional comment 142 is displayed in a normal manner in the pop-up window 138. As described above, according to the third example, it is possible to specifically recognize the period in which each additional comment is displayed in the normal mode in relation to the electrocardiogram waveform, that is, in relation to the heartbeat time phase. Among a plurality of additional comments, an indicator, a marker, or the like may be additionally displayed with respect to the additional comment corresponding to the current display time phase. Further, when a plurality of additional comments are displayed, they may be displayed in order of priority instead of time series. For example, it may be controlled so that an additional comment input by a specific person is always displayed at the top.

  FIG. 16 shows a comment process as a flowchart. In S10, it is determined whether or not the original comment is selected under the execution of the simplified display control. In S10, when the end condition of this process is satisfied, this process ends. On the other hand, in S10, when selection of the original comment (user designation) is determined, detailed display control is executed. Specifically, in S12, a pop-up window is displayed in the vicinity of the selected original comment. If one or more additional comments are associated with the original comment, one or more additional comments are displayed in the pop-up window. As a result, the pop-up window can be edited.

  In S14, an input to the pop-up window is accepted. Additional comments are added, deleted or modified. In addition, display conditions are accepted as necessary. Display conditions such as font size, display color, and display period may be specified by the user. If you do not wish to edit, you only need to refer to it without entering it. In S16, it is determined whether or not the return condition is satisfied. If the return condition is satisfied, simplified display control is executed in S22 and the state before selection is returned. Then, S10 is executed again. The return condition is, for example, detection of a return operation by the user, elapse of a predetermined time from the start of the detailed display control, and the like. In S18, it is determined whether or not there is an operation for confirming the editing result. If the operation is not detected, the processing from S14 is repeatedly executed. If it is determined in S18 that there has been an operation for confirming the editing result, the pop-up window contents are actually confirmed in S20, that is, the contents of the management table are updated.

  According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to prioritize observation of an ultrasonic image during normal times and prioritize reference to comment information when referring to comments. In other words, by combining the constant display of the original comment and the temporary display of the additional comment, in other words, by adaptively changing the size of the comment information display space, both the observation of the ultrasonic image and the reference of the comment information can be made compatible. Can do.

42 comment management section, 48 management table, 74 original comments, 80 pop-up window (subwindow), 86 additional comments.

Claims (9)

For each original comment associated with specific coordinates on the ultrasound image, management means for managing the coordinate information representing the specific coordinates and the content of the additional comment associated with the original comment
For a non-selected source comment that is not selected by the user, the simplified display control is applied to display the non-selected source comment together with the ultrasound image and to hide the additional comment associated with the non-selected source comment. Display control means for applying detailed display control for displaying the selected source comment and an additional comment associated with the selected source comment together with the ultrasound image for the selected source comment;
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus comprising: The apparatus of claim 1.
In the detailed display control, the display control means displays a pop-up window, and displays an additional comment associated with the selection source comment in the pop-up window.
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus. The apparatus of claim 2.
The display control means further displays at least one of information indicating a creation time of the additional comment and information indicating a creator of the additional comment in the pop-up window.
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus. The apparatus of claim 1.
The display control means executes a display process for visually identifying an original comment with the additional comment and an original comment without the additional comment.
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus. The apparatus of claim 1.
The management means includes an editing means for editing an original comment and an additional comment based on a user input.
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus. The apparatus of claim 1.
The ultrasonic image is a moving image,
The management means manages a display period for each additional comment,
The display control means controls display of the additional comment based on a display period for each additional comment in the detailed display control.
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus. The apparatus of claim 6.
The display control means determines presence or absence of display based on a display period for each additional comment or changes a display mode.
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus. The apparatus of claim 2.
The display control means changes the display position of the pop-up window according to the display position of the original comment on the ultrasonic image.
An ultrasonic image processing apparatus. A program for executing a comment display control method in an ultrasonic image processing apparatus,
The comment display control method is:
Managing the coordinate information representing the specific coordinates for each original comment associated with the specific coordinates on the ultrasound image and the content of the additional comment associated with the original comment;
For a non-selected source comment that is not selected by the user, the simplified display control is applied to display the non-selected source comment together with the ultrasound image and to hide the additional comment associated with the non-selected source comment. Applying detailed display control for displaying the selected source comment and an additional comment associated with the selected source comment together with the ultrasound image for the selected source comment,
The program characterized by including.