JPH09265481A - Method and device for storing picture information - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simply store image information sent from a computer tomography(CT) device, magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) device, etc., relationally with ID information corresponding to the image information. SOLUTION: An image part in which ID information is recorded is extracted from overall image information sent from a CT device 10 and an MRI device 20. Mutually corresponding retrieving data are applied to the extracted image part and the overall image information and individually stored in a filing device 30 so that the overall image information is stored indirectly based upon the corresponding ID information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for accumulating image information, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for accumulating image information in which ID information is included in image information as a part of the image information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In various fields, it has been known to photoelectrically read an image recorded on a photographic film, obtain image information, apply appropriate image processing to the image information, and reproduce and record the image information as a visible image. It is done in.

Further, radiation image information of a subject such as a human body is once recorded in a sheet-shaped stimulable phosphor, and the stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with excitation light such as laser light to generate stimulated emission light. A radiation image recording / reproducing system that photoelectrically reads the obtained stimulated emission light to obtain an image signal, and outputs a radiation image of a subject based on the image signal as a visible image on a recording material such as a photographic light-sensitive material or a CRT. (Hereafter, C
An R (Computerized Radiography) apparatus) has already been put to practical use. This system has the practical advantage of being able to record images over a very large radiation exposure area compared to conventional radiographic systems using silver halide photography.

[0004] In the system using the stimulable phosphor sheet as described above, regarding the image recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet, the patient name, photographing (recording) date,
It is necessary to associate various kinds of information such as an imaging part and a date of birth with each stimulable phosphor sheet. Of these information, especially for the patient name, it becomes a search key item when managing the patient's medical history information, medication information, etc. in a database, so it is a letter, number, symbol, kanji, Katakana, Hiragana, etc. An ID (identification) number consisting of characters is given, and the information such as the date of photography including the ID number is attached to the ID.
This is called information.

In a CR system using a stimulable phosphor sheet, the above ID information and the like are first input from a predetermined ID information terminal device, and the contents are stored in a predetermined storage device.
Note that this content may also be recorded on an ID card as a medical examination ticket for the patient.

When an inspection is actually performed by the CR system, the operator inputs the ID information into the ID information terminal or reads the ID number or the like from the ID card and adds the information regarding the photographing. ID information,
This is added as search information of the radiation image information obtained by the CR system, and the image information with the ID information is stored in a predetermined storage medium.

In this case, the ID serving as the above-mentioned search information
The information is coded so-called character data (text data).

In the medical field in recent years, in addition to the CR system described above, various systems for observing the internal structure of the human body, which are different in style from the CR system, have been developed and put into practical use. Typical examples thereof include a CT (computed tomography) apparatus, an MRI (magnetic resonance image) apparatus, and the like, which are obtained with these systems as the spread of these other systems. For image information
If it is possible to perform processing such as storage, reproduction, and image processing using a storage medium of the R system, a laser imager, or the like, it is considered possible to obtain more multifaceted diagnostic images.

However, in general, a uniform standard is not established not only for transmission / reception but also for image information itself between the other systems such as the CT apparatus and the CR system. Information needs to be transmitted and received as a video signal.

For this reason, the image information obtained by the CT apparatus or the like will not be transmitted unless the other system side transmits it in a data format suitable for the CR system.
At the receiving end, the video signal needs to be processed to be compatible with the CR system.

Therefore, the applicant of the present application has proposed, for example, a multi-formatter or the like to adapt the image information transmitted from such another system to a CR system, and uses this multi-formatter to receive the image information on the receiving side (C).
(R system) so that the information can be processed.

[0012]

By the way, in order to utilize image information transmitted as a video signal from another system such as the CT apparatus, the image information is temporarily stored and stored in a predetermined recording medium. It is advantageous to leave it. In this case, in the CR system, ID information is added to the image information as retrieval information for later retrieval, but in other systems such as a CT apparatus, the reconstructed image is observed on a monitor or the film is reproduced. In order to achieve the purpose by outputting the image to the etc., filing of the obtained image information is not generally performed.

Therefore, regarding the image information sent from these systems to the CR system, the ID information may be included in the image as a part of the image, but the ID information may be included.
It is considered that it is generally not possible to transmit only the information as character data separately from the image information. In this case, the image information transmitted from the other system cannot be filed.

However, it is extremely important to store the sent image information in association with the ID information corresponding to the image information in order to effectively utilize the image information.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to easily store image information sent from a CT apparatus, an MRI apparatus or the like in association with ID information corresponding to the image information. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for accumulating image information as described above.

[0016]

A first method for storing image information of the present invention is to obtain image information recorded on a record carrier such as a stimulable phosphor sheet or film by scanning with a laser beam or the like. Predetermined recording on an optical disk, hard disk, etc. after adding search data for search to the acquired image information (entire image information) or image information (entire image information) input from various image information acquisition systems In the image information storage method for recording on a medium,
A predetermined position of the entire image information, that is, an image portion including ID information such as an ID number recorded in a part of the entire image information, a photographing date, a photographing region, a photographing position, etc. is extracted and extracted. Retrieval data is attached to the image portion including the ID information, and the image portion including the ID information to which the retrieval data is attached is recorded on the recording medium as image information separate from the entire image information. It is what

Here, it is desirable that the search data has the same or a predetermined relationship with the search data added to the entire image information.

For example, when search data consisting of a character string in the entire image information is added, the search data to be added to the image portion including the ID information is the same character string as the character string (for example, a sequential one). Alternatively, the character string may be a character string in which a symbol or the like for distinguishing from the entire image information is further added. When the entire image information and the image portion including the ID information are recorded on the same recording medium, if the same search data is used, the two cannot be distinguished at the time of search. It is desirable to distinguish between the two.

The search data may be recorded in advance in a part of the entire image information. That is, the search data may be added in advance when the image information is acquired by another image information acquisition system.

The second image information storage method of the present invention is the first
Similar to the method described above, an image portion including ID information is extracted, the ID information is recognized as character data from the extracted image portion, search data is added to the ID information recognized as this character data, and the search data is added. The generated ID information is recorded on a recording medium as ID data separate from the entire image information.

That is, in the first method of the present invention, the image portion including the extracted ID information is recorded as the image information as it is, that is, the search information is added as the image information as it is and recorded. In this method, the ID information is further recognized as character information from the image portion including the extracted ID information, and the character information is added with search data and recorded.

Also in this second method, it is desirable that the search data has the same or a predetermined relationship with the search data added to the entire image information.

In any of the first and second methods, "search data + entire image information" and "search data + I"
When the search data is specified in the recording medium in which the "image part including D information" or "search data + whole image information" and "search data + ID data" are recorded, prior to searching for "whole image information" It is desirable to set so as to search for “image portion including ID information” or “ID data”.

This is because the "whole image information" has a very large amount of information, so it takes some time to output by retrieval, but the "image portion including ID information" or "ID data" is one of the whole image information. Since it is a part, the amount of information is smaller than the whole image information, and the time required for output can be shortened, and this "image part including ID information" (or "ID data") naturally represents the ID information. Since it has (or as a character), when looking at this retrieved ID information, the formal content (patient name (ID number), imaging date, The observer can recognize (the imaged part, etc.), and can confirm the authenticity of the image before the "entire image information" itself is viewed, as to whether or not the image is the image of the target to be observed.

The first image information storage device of the present invention relates to input image information (entire image information) or image information (entire image information) obtained by reading information recorded on a record carrier. In an image information storage device in which search information for search is added and the image information is stored in a predetermined recording medium, an image portion including ID information recorded at a predetermined position of the whole image information is displayed. ID area extracting means for extracting, search data adding means for adding predetermined search data to the image portion including the extracted ID information,
A recording means for recording the image portion including the ID information to which the search data is added to the recording medium as image information different from the whole image information is provided.

The second image information storage device of the present invention adds search data for search to the input image information (entire image information) and then records the image information in a predetermined recording medium. In the image information storage device described above, an ID area extracting means for extracting an image portion containing ID information recorded at a predetermined position of the whole image information, and a character recognition for recognizing the ID information as character data from the image portion. Means, search data giving means for giving predetermined search data to the ID information recognized as the character data, and ID information given the search data as ID data separate from the image information. A recording means for recording on a medium is provided.

Also in the first or second device of the present invention, the search data added by the search data adding means to the image portion including the ID information or the ID information is input as in the method of the present invention. It is desirable that the search data is set to have the same or a predetermined relationship as the search data added to the image information.

[0028]

According to the image information storage method and apparatus of the present invention, the ID information obtained by various image information acquisition systems including other systems such as a CT apparatus and an MRI apparatus and a CR apparatus is used. ID of the image information included in the image
Even if the information itself is not sent as character data separately from the image information, the image portion including the ID information or the ID information itself is extracted from the entire image information and is separated from the entire image information. Image information is stored as character data, and the search data assigned to each of the image information is associated with each other, so that the entire image information can be indirectly searched based on the ID information. Both can be accumulated.

[0029]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Specific embodiments for carrying out the image information storage method of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a multi-formatter 50 including an image information storage device for implementing the image information storage method of the present invention.
2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an image information system including the multi-formatter 50, and FIG. 3 is the whole image information 10 used in the image information system of the present embodiment.
0, and the whole image information 100 includes the CT device described later.
A tomographic image of the patient taken by 10 and an MRI device 20
In addition to the magnetic resonance image captured by, the ID information 110 for identifying the image is captured.

The image information system shown in the figure uses tomographic image information of a predetermined patient having ID information, which is sent as a video signal from the CT apparatus 10, and magnetic resonance image information, which is sent as a video signal from the MRI apparatus 20. A multi-formatter that receives and performs a predetermined process on these image information
50, a filing device 30 for accumulating image information subjected to predetermined processing by the multi-formatter 50, and a laser imager 40 for reproducing the image information and the like as a visible image on a medical film.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the multi-formatter 50 uses the whole image information (for example, reference numeral 100 shown in FIG. 3) input from the CT apparatus 10 and the MRI apparatus 20,
An ID area extracting means 51 for extracting an image portion 110 recorded on a part of the image 100 and including ID information such as a patient's ID number, the image portion 110 including this ID information, and the entire image information (ID information 100 including the image portion 110 including the search data (for example, 1, 2,
3, ..., etc.) and the image part 110 including the ID information to which the search data is added are input to and output from the filing device 30 as image information separate from the whole image information 100, Further, it is provided with an input / output control means 53 for outputting to the laser imager 40.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

First, the entire image information 100 shown in FIG. 3, for example, is input from the CT device 10 or the MRI device 20 to the multi-formatter 50 as a video signal.

The entire image information 100 input to the multi-formatter 50 is input to the ID area extracting means 51, and the ID area extracting means 51 extracts the image portion including the area in which the ID information is recorded from the entire image information 100 (hereinafter, An ID area image) 110 is extracted. Extraction of this ID area image 110
The ID information is character information, and its signal value is close to that of binary information. For example, an area in which a strong edge repeatedly appears in a narrow space may be used as the ID area image 110 or may be connected. System (CT device 10, MR
When the position where the ID information is recorded is constant for each I device 20), the position information is stored in the multi-formatter 50.
By storing it, the area can be easily extracted.

Next, the search data giving means 52 gives the same sequence number 200 to the ID area image 110 and the whole image information 100, respectively. It should be noted that since giving the exact same sequence number 200 to the ID area image 110 and the whole image information 100 is inconvenient in a later search, a hyphen ("-") is continuously added to the same sequence number. After that, an identification number such as "1" or "2" may be added.

That is, for example, "1-1" may be added to the entire image information 100 and "1-2" may be added to the ID area image 110. Hereinafter, the search data including this identification number will be referred to as search data 200.

The entire image information 100 and the ID area image 110 to which the search data have been added in this way are individually stored in the filing device 30 by the input / output control means 53. However, the entire image information 100 and the ID area image 110 are associated with the search data “1-1” and “1” that are associated with each other.
-2 "is indirectly associated. Therefore, it is possible to search the entire image information 100 based on the ID area image 110.

That is, an external search instruction (for example, search data "1-
2)) is input, the search data “1-
The ID area image 110 assigned with “2” is the input / output control means 53.
Is retrieved and read from the filing device 30 by
This is output by the laser imager 40 to the film together with the search data “1-2” as shown in FIG. 4 (A), or although not shown, for example, the screen of the CRT connected to the multi-formatter 50 as required. Displayed above.

Then, the observer looks at this ID area image 110 and picks up the imaging contents (ID number (patient name), imaging site,
The shooting date, etc.) can be confirmed, and as a result of this confirmation, if it is determined that it is not necessary to view the entire image information 100, the processing ends, and it is determined that the entire image information 100 needs to be viewed. Then, by inputting the search data "1-1" associated with the search data "1-2" assigned to the ID area image 110 into the multi-formatter 50, the observed ID area image 110 The entire image information 100 included in the set can be retrieved from the filing device 30. As in the case of the ID area image 110 described above, the searched entire image information 100 is output by the laser imager 40 to the film together with the search data "1-1" as shown in FIG.

As described above, the image information storage device built in the multi-formatter 50 for carrying out the image information storage method of the present embodiment has its image information 100 separated from the whole image information 100 from the CT device 10 or the MRI device 20. Even if the ID information corresponding to is not sent, I
The whole image information 100 can be filed so that the whole image information 100 can be indirectly searched based on the D information.

FIG. 6 shows the I format of the multi-formatter 50 shown in FIG. 1 further extracted by the ID area extracting means 51.
An ID recognition unit 54 for recognizing ID information as character data from the D area image 110 is provided, and the search data addition unit 52 is I
ID recognized as D area image 110 and character data
The multi-formatter shown in FIG. 1 except that sequential search data (for example, 1, 2, 3, ...) Is added to information (hereinafter referred to as ID data) 111.
It has the same structure as 50.

The operation of the image information storage device shown in FIG. 6 will be described.

First, the multi-formatter 50 'shown in FIG.
In the same manner as the above, from the CT device 10 or the MRI device 20 to, for example, FIG.
The whole image information 100 shown in is input to the multi-formatter 50 'as a video signal.

The entire image information 100 inputted to the multi-formatter 50 'is inputted to the ID area extracting means 51, and the ID area extracting means 51 extracts the ID area image from the whole image information 100.
Extract 110.

Next, the ID recognition means 54 detects the extracted ID.
The ID information is recognized as character data from the area image portion 110. As a method of recognizing the character data, various known methods such as pattern matching can be used.

Next, the retrieval data adding means 52 adds the whole image information 100, the ID data 111 and the ID area image 110 to
Give the same sequence number 200. The specific method of assigning the sequence number is the same as that in the above-described embodiment. However, the same identification number may be added to the ID data 111 and the ID area image 110.

That is, for example, "1-1" may be added to the entire image information 100, and "1-2" may be added to the ID area image 110 and the ID data 111. Hereinafter, the search data including this identification number will be referred to as search data 200.

The entire image information 100 to which the search data has been added in this way is separately stored in the filing device 30 by the input / output control means 53. Also, the ID area image 110
The ID data 111 and the ID data 111 are integrally stored in the filing device 30 by the input / output control means 53 as having the same search data.

When an external search instruction (for example, search data "1-2") is input to the multi-formatter 50 ', the ID area image 110 and the search data "1-2" are first added. The ID data 111 is retrieved and read from the filing device 30 by the input / output control means 53, and this is read by the laser imager 40 in FIG.
The search data "1-2" is output to the film as shown in FIG. 2 or is displayed on the screen of a CRT connected to the multi-formatter 50 ', though not shown, for example, although not shown.

Then, the observer can confirm whether or not the recognized ID data 111 is correct by looking at the ID area image 110 and the ID data 111 by comparing with the ID area image 110. Data 111 to ID area image 11
As 0, it is possible to confirm the imaging contents (ID number (patient name), imaging site, imaging date, etc.) of the entire image information 100 included in a part thereof, and as a result of this confirmation, the entire image information
If it is determined that it is not necessary to see 100, the process is terminated as it is, and if it is determined that it is necessary to see the entire image information 100, the search data “1-2 attached to the ID area image 110 and the ID data 111 is displayed. By inputting search data “1-1” associated with “” to the multi-formatter 50, the entire image information 100 including the observed ID area image 110 as a part thereof can be searched from the filing apparatus 30. The searched entire image information 100 is output to the film by the laser imager 40 together with the search data "1-1" as in the case of the ID area image 110 described above.

As described above, the image information storage device incorporated in the multi-formatter 50 for carrying out the image information storage method of the present embodiment, the image information 100 from the CT device 10 or the MRI device 20 is separated from the entire image information 100. Even if the ID information corresponding to
The whole image information 100 can be filed so that the whole image information 100 can be indirectly searched based on the D information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of an image information storage device incorporated in a multi-formatter 50 for implementing an image information storage method of the present invention.

2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an image information system including the multi-formatter 50 shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is overall image information 100 used in the image information system of the embodiment shown in FIG.

4A is a diagram showing a reproduction state of an ID area image by the image information storage device of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG.
Showing the reproduction state of the ID area image by the image information storage device of the embodiment shown in FIG.

5 is a diagram showing a reproduction state of whole image information by the image information storage device of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 or FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an image information storage device incorporated in a multi-formatter 50 for implementing the image information storage method of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 CT device 20 MRI device 30 Filing device 40 Laser imager 50, 50 'Multi-formatter 51 ID area extraction means 52 Search data giving means 53 Input / output control means 54 ID recognition means 100 Whole image information 110 ID area image 111 ID data

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location G06F 15/62 P

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An image information storage method in which search data for search is added to input image information and then recorded in a predetermined recording medium, wherein the image information is recorded at a predetermined position. An image portion including ID information is extracted, search data is attached to the extracted image portion including ID information, and an image portion including ID information to which the search data is attached is extracted.
An image information storage method characterized in that the image information is recorded on a recording medium as image information separate from the image information. 2. The search data added to the image portion including the ID information is set to have the same or a predetermined relationship with the search data added to the input image information. Image information storage method described. 3. An image information storage method in which search data for search is added to input image information and then recorded in a predetermined recording medium, wherein the image information is recorded at a predetermined position. An image portion including ID information is extracted, the ID information is recognized as character data from the image portion, search data is added to the ID information recognized as the character data, and the ID information added with the search data is An image information storage method, characterized in that the image information is recorded on a recording medium as ID data separate from the image information. 4. Search data to be added to the ID information,
4. The image information storage method according to claim 3, wherein the image data is set to have the same or a predetermined relationship as the search data to be added to the input image information. 5. An image information storage device in which search data for searching is added to input image information and then recorded in a predetermined recording medium, wherein the image information is recorded at a predetermined position. ID area extracting means for extracting an image portion including ID information, search data attaching means for attaching predetermined search data to the image portion including ID information, and an image including ID information to which the search data is attached Part
An image information storage device, comprising: a recording unit that records the image information, which is different from the input image information, on a recording medium. 6. The search data adding means sets the search data to be added to the image portion including the ID information as having the same or a predetermined relationship as the search data to be added to the input image information. The image information storage device according to claim 5, wherein 7. An image information storage device configured to add search data for search to input image information and then record the image information in a predetermined recording medium, wherein a predetermined position of the image information is set. ID area extracting means for extracting an image portion containing the ID information recorded in the character area, character recognition means for recognizing the ID information as character data from the image portion, and predetermined for the ID information recognized as the character data. Image including a search data adding unit for adding the search data and the recording unit for recording the ID information added with the search data in a recording medium as ID data separate from the image information. Information storage device. 8. The search data adding means sets the search data to be added to the ID information as having the same or a predetermined relationship as the search data to be added to the input image information. Claim 7 characterized by
The described image information storage device.