FR2654532A1 - Method of capturing and processing characteristic medical data relating to the hollow organs of the body of a patient and system for the implementation of such a method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a system of capturing and processing medical data. The system is characterised in that it comprises a colour video camera (2) linked by way of matching optics (10) to a fibre endoscope (11) introduced into the hollow organ to be studied of a patient and a computer device (25) intended for the processing of the colour endoscope image provided by the camera (2) so as to send an endoscope image of specified shape and specified coloration to a server system (33) which searches for at least one medical image of a typical lesion as close as possible to the transmitted image to be analysed. The present invention finds application in the field of medical imaging.

Description

 The present invention relates to a method of acquiring and processing characteristic medical data relating to hollow organs of the body of a patient, as well as the system for implementing this method.

 A method of acquiring characteristic data relating to a hollow organ, such as the larynx of a patient, is known of the type consisting in recording on a video cassette all the characteristic data relating to the vocal cords and observing them on a video screen. visualization to allow a practitioner to establish a medical diagnosis.

 However, such a known method has the disadvantage that the access to the data recorded on the video magnetic tape is sequential and, consequently, is relatively slow and therefore does not allow a practitioner to quickly establish a medical diagnosis.

 The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above drawback by proposing a method of acquiring and processing characteristic medical data relating to a hollow organ of the body of a patient, such as for example the pharynx, the larynx. , the trachea, the bronchi, and characterized in that it consists notably in producing a colored endoscopic video image of the hollow organ; digitizing the endoscopic video image and storing the digitized image; to perform, in the stored image, in particular thresholding operations and extraction or detection of contours so as to record in memory the only useful image information likely to have characteristics of a given pathological form or lesion; transmitting this image information to a server system where image data of typical lesions is preset; comparing the image information with the preset image data so as to search for at least one image of a typical lesion of shape and coloration close to the shape and coloration of the image defined by the transmitted information; and simultaneously view on the same video screen next to the endoscopic image with lesion given the image of the typical lesion found as well as the most convincing medical diagnosis.

 According to a characteristic of the invention, the method also consists in storing in a computer processing device and / or in recording in a laser videodisc two or more colored endoscopic images respectively during several successive consultations, in counting the image elements or pixels of each of the endoscopic images stored or recorded and relating to a coloration of a given lesion, to calculate the differences between the number of pixels of successive endoscopic images and to visualize on the video screen the different endoscopic images as well as the results of the difference calculations.

 The invention also provides a system for acquiring and processing characteristic medical data relating to a hollow organ in the body of a patient and characterized in that it comprises a color video camera connected by means of an optical system. adaptation to a fibroscope introduced into the hollow organ to be studied, a computer device intended in particular for processing the colored endoscopic image supplied by the video camera or coming from a laser videodisc on which the colored endoscopic image has been recorded in order to to digitize the endoscopic image, to memorize it in a very large capacity image memory, preferably of the matrix type, and to carry out operations for it, in particular thresholding and contour detection to write in the image memory useful image information defining a characteristic shape and coloring thereof and a server system connected to the computer device processing processor by a transmission network so as to transmit the image information to the server system, the server system being adapted to compare this image information with pre-stored image data relating to typical lesions and transmit to the computer device for processing at least one image closest, in shape and coloring, to that represented by the information of the image transmitted as well as the most convincing diagnosis, the computer device comprising a video screen for simultaneous viewing of the endoscopic image to be examined and the image and diagnosis transmitted by the server system.

 The computer device comprises a mass memory in which are stored two or more colored endoscopic images taken by the aforementioned video camera respectively during two or more consultations and controls a reader of the laser videodisc on which the two or more colored endoscopic images are recorded, the computer device being arranged to count the pixels, relating to a coloration of a given lesion, of each of the endoscopic images stored in the mass memory or recorded on the laser videodisc and simultaneously viewed on the video screen, and determining the difference between the numbers of pixels of successive endoscopic images, the results of the operations of the differences also being displayed on the video screen.

 Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge clearly in the light of the explanatory description which will follow made with reference to a currently preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention given simply by way of illustration and which does not can therefore in no way limit the scope of the invention, shown schematically in the accompanying single figure.

 Referring to this figure, the system according to the invention comprises a mixer 1 in the present case with eight inputs intended for the synchronous acquisition of video images originating respectively from eight video cameras 2-9, where the cameras Video 2-8 are intended to capture images respectively of characteristic medical data relating to a hollow organ of the body of a patient, the video camera 9 being intended to capture the patient's morphotype. In the description which follows, the hollow organ of the patient to be examined is the larynx thereof, but it is understood that the invention also applies to the examination of other hollow organs such as the pharynx, the trachea, bronchi, etc ..., of a patient.

 The video camera 2 is coupled via an adaptation optic 10, known per se, to a fibroscope or endoscope 11 introduced into the larynx of the patient. The fibroscope 11 is supplied, for example, with cold light or strobe light or else wavelength light allowing fluorescence or the like and can comprise, if necessary, a magnifying optical device. The camera 2 thus makes it possible to provide the corresponding input of the mixer 1 with a dynamic video image of the activity of the vocal cords during phonation. Camera 2 can be a tube camera or a CCD or single color dominant camera allowing spontaneous or induced fluorescence by a dye injected into the body so as to provide a video image of a determined coloration typical of a medical pathology or lesion detected.

 The reference 12 schematically designates a laryngographer having two electrodes (not shown) placed on the skin facing the patient's larynx and connected to an oscilloscope 13, the video camera 3 filming the electrical signal represented on the screen of the oscilloscope and corresponding to the vibrations of the vocal cords during phonation. The video camera 4 films on the screen of a sonograph 14 an electrical signal corresponding to the sound detected by a microphone 15 associated with the sonograph in order to detect any pathologies of vocal effort hitherto unknown. The video camera 9, as already explained previously, films the patient's morphotype P. More precisely, in laryngology, it allows the patient to be observed speaking for example bent head or head in extension, the voice not being the same and the the image of the vocal cords being different at these two positions in order to detect a possible anomaly or quite simply an artifact.

 If necessary, other medical data are associated with those above captured by the cameras 2, 3, 4 and 9. Thus, during the fibroscopy, the esophageal pressure is transformed into a video image by the camera 5 which films the signal electric relative to this pressure appearing on the screen of an oscilloscope 16 and coming from a pressure sensor of the esophagus 17. The camera 6 is a specific camera for the cytological analysis of the tissues and cooperates with an electronic device assembly - microscope 18 for the cytological observation of possible lesions. The video camera 7 is intended to film an electrocardiogram appearing on the electrocardiograph 19 to which EGC electrodes symbolized at 20 are connected. Finally, the camera 8 is intended to capture various useful elements of the medical record, such as radiological examinations, analyzes , prohibitions of therapy in certain categories of patients (infants, pregnant women, diabetics, prostatic, allergic, cancer, ...), all these elements being symbolized in 21.

 All the medical data defined above are thus transmitted in synchronism to the mixer 1, the output of which is connected to a video recorder 22 recording all or part of the medical data on the magnetic tape of a video cassette, this medical data being able to be viewed on a video screen 23.

Thus, the larynx can be observed dynamically on the screen 23 with the other medical parameters recorded in synchronization on the video cassette.

The endoscopic image of the larynx as well as the images of the other medical data associated with the endoscopic image are also transmitted to a device 24 recording these images on a laser videodisc, the device 24 being also able to read the image information recorded on the laser videodisc in order to view them on the video screen 23. The laser videodisc allows a high speed of access to each of the images recorded therein and of storing a large quantity of images (approximately 50,000) relating to medical data of patients.

 The video images at the output of the mixer 1, in particular the endoscopic image of the larynx, are also transmitted to a computer processing device 25. This device includes an analog processor 26, known per se, connected to the output of the table 1 and performing the sampling of the video images and their coding corresponding to the quantification of the intensity of each element of an image or pixel into a digital value. Of course, the sampling of the video signal at the output of the matrix 1 is not necessary if it only comes only from the camera 2 of the CCD type. The device 25 furthermore comprises a very large image memory 27 large capacity and preferably of the matrix type, bidirectionally connected to the analog processor 26, and a set 28 of specialized image processors such as in particular thresholding processors, image contour extraction, filtering, etc. ., bidirectionally connected to the analog processor 26 and to the image memory 27.

Data exchanges between the analog processor 26, the image memory 27 and the set of specialized processors 28 are carried out by a fast bus. The device 25 further comprises a computer or calculator 29 bidirectionally connected to the analog processor 26, to the specialized processors 28, to a mass memory 30 for example of the hard disk type of very large image storage capacity and to a modulator-demodulator (MODEM) 31. The computer 29 is also unidirectionally connected to a keyboard 32.

The computer 29 controls the operation of the analog processor 26 so that it controls the acquisition of images to the memory 27, the specialized processors for the choice of the processing algorithm and the data exchanges between the memory d images 27 and mass memory 30. The visualization of the processing results is carried out by means of the analog processor 26 under the control of the computer 29 which also controls the device 24 so as in particular to search on the laser videodisc image of a patient and restore it to the analog processor 26 for a particular treatment. The computer 27 also makes it possible to calculate the number of image elements of a determined coloring of an endoscopic image captured as will be explained later. The MODEM 31 allows data exchange, via a network transmission, between the computer 29 and a server system 33 where are stored on a laser video disc image data relating to typical lesions. The server system 33 makes it possible, by a shape and color recognition algorithm, to compare an image transmitted to it with one or more images of the laser videodisc and of shape and coloring close to the transmitted image. The image or images recognized as being closest to the received image are transmitted to the computer 29 simultaneously with the most convincing diagnosis or diagnoses on the image to be studied. The server system 33 and the computer device 25 thus cooperate with a view to helping with a diagnosis as will be described in more detail later.

 The operation of the system according to the invention will now be described. Among the medical images captured by video cameras, the endoscopic image of the larynx is the most interesting. The system will therefore be described as processing the endoscopic image from camera 2. As already explained above, camera 2 provides a colored image resulting from the fluorescence or dye injected into the body and the appearance of which is analyzed in order to to know the evolution of a particular lesion or to know the impact over time of chemotherapy. More precisely, during a first consultation of the patient, the video image coming from the camera 2, after digitization, if necessary, by the processor 26, is stored in the image memory 27, and the computer 29 counts the number of image elements or pixels of the stored image, for example representative of a dark red indicating a lesion. The calculated number will for example be Y. This operation of counting image elements is repeated during each of the successive consultations, carried out for example every month. Thus, at the second month of consultation, the computer 29 counts, for example Z, red image elements of the new image stored in the image memory 27 and calculates the difference Y - Z. The computer 29 also controls the display on the screen 23 of the endoscopic image memorized during the first consultation on a first part of the screen and of the endoscopic image memorized during the second consultation on the other part of the screen with appearance on this one of the result of the difference between the number of elements of images of red of the first image and the number of elements of images of red of the second image. During the third consultation, the computer 29 displays on the screen 23 the three images respectively of the three consultations as well as the results of each of the differences between the number of image elements of successive images. Similarly, during 'a fourth consultation, the screen 23 is divided into four parts respectively relating to the four images resulting from the four consultations with display thereon of the results of the differences between numbers of image elements of successive images. Of course, the data relating to the endoscopic images obtained during various consultations of several patients are recorded on the laser videodisc and on the magnetic tape of a video cassette and are stored in the mass memory 30. Thus, the computer 29, to calculate the difference between the number of pixels characteristic of an endoscopic image captured during a first consultation of a patient and already stored in mass memory 30 or recorded on the laser video disc and the number of pixels characteristic of a endoscopic image captured during a subsequent consultation of the patient and stored in the image memory 27, will search, under the command of a program stored in a read-only memory of the computer 29, the endoscopic image of the first consultation of the patient in the mass memory 30 or in the laser videodisc, perform a calculation of the number of pixels characteristic of this image so if that of the number of pixels characteristic of the endoscopic image of the second consultation stored in the image memory 27 and calculate the difference between these two numbers. The results of the various pixel count calculations relating to successive endoscopic images of the larynx of a patient are stored in a random access memory of the computer 29 and then erased from this memory after exploitation of these results. This process of counting characteristic pixels thus makes it possible to make the diagnosis more objective and to bring the practitioner towards an adequate treatment.

 The analysis of a delicate pathological endoscopic image can be facilitated by associating with it all the other medical data coming from cameras 3-9 and stored in particular on the laser videodisc via the device 24 in order to provide more assistance. effective at diagnosis.

 However, despite the association of this additional medical data with the endoscopic image analyzed, the practitioner may be hesitant about the diagnosis. In such a situation, the practitioner, using the keyboard 32, gives instructions to the computer 29 so that it instructs the specialized processor 28 to perform in particular thresholding operations and extraction or detection of contours of the endoscopic video image stored in the memory 27 so as to write into this memory 27, once this operation has been carried out, the only useful image information having characteristics of a given pathological form or lesion, the other information of the image considered of no interest being erased from memory 27. The computer 29 then controls the transmission of the image stored in memory 27 to the server system 33 via MODEM 31 and the transmission network . The information of the image to be analyzed received by the server system is compared with the data of typical lesion images stored in the laser video disc of the server system 33 until one or more images of typical lesions are found, the shape and color of which are closest to the shape and colorimetry of the image to be analyzed. The images of typical lesions found as well as the corresponding diagnosis are transmitted by the server system 33 to the computer 29 of the processing device 25 so as to be displayed on the video screen 23 alongside the endoscopic image to be analyzed. The practitioner thus sees on screen 23 one or more images similar to the image to be analyzed as well as the most convincing diagnoses, which allows him to establish an accurate diagnosis without loss of time both for himself and for the patient. For example, three images similar to the analyzed image are displayed on the screen 23 next to the latter as well as three most convincing diagnoses.

 The endoscopic image stored in the image memory 27 which is to undergo the thresholding and contour extraction operations mentioned above comes either from the video camera 2 or from the laser videodisc on which the endoscopic image has been previously recorded. by device 24.

Of course, a specific code is assigned to each patient in order to allow the computer 29 to find on the laser video disc read by the device 24 and on the mass memory 30 all the images captured by the hollow organ to be studied of the patient. during the various successive consultations and compare them over time to judge the effectiveness of a particular treatment
The system according to the invention thus allows a practitioner to quickly have at his disposal all the medical data useful for knowing the evolution of a lesion and / or knowing precisely the impact of chemotherapy practiced. In addition, the system of the invention allows the practitioner to help him quickly and effectively in his diagnosis.

Claims (9)

 1. Method for acquiring and processing characteristic medical data relating to a hollow organ in the body of a patient, such as, for example, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, characterized in that it consists notably in producing a video image colored endoscopic of the hollow organ; digitizing the endoscopic video image and storing the digitized image; to perform, in the stored image, in particular thresholding operations and extraction or detection of contours so as to record in memory the only useful image information likely to have characteristics of a given pathological form or lesion; transmitting this image information to a server system (33) where image data of typical lesions is preset; comparing the image information with the preset image data so as to search for at least one image of a typical lesion of shape and coloration close to the shape and coloration of the image defined by the transmitted information; and to view on the same video screen (23) alongside the endoscopic image to analyze the image of a typical lesion found as well as the most convincing diagnosis.  2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists in searching for three images of typical lesions of shape and coloration close to the shape and coloration of the endoscopic image to be analyzed and displayed on the video screen. (23), alongside the endoscopic image to be analyzed, these three images of typical lesions as well as the three most convincing diagnoses.  3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it consists in recording or storing in a computer processing device (25) and / or in recording in a laser videodisc two or more colored endoscopic images captured respectively during two or several successive consultations of a patient; counting the image elements or pixels of each stored image and relating to a coloration of a given lesion; calculating the difference between the numbers of pixels of successive images; and to display on the video screen (23) the various endoscopic images stored or recorded as well as the results of the difference calculations.  4. System for the acquisition and processing of characteristic medical data relating to a hollow organ of the body of a patient for the implementation of the method as defined in claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a video camera color (2) connected via an adaptation optic (10) to a fibroscope (11) introduced into the hollow organ to be studied; a computer device (25) intended in particular for processing the colored endoscopic image supplied by the video camera (2) or coming from a laser videodisc on which the colored endoscopic image has been recorded in order to digitize the endoscopic image, memorize it in a very large capacity image memory (27), preferably of the matrix type, and to carry out operations for it, in particular thresholding and contour detection to write useful information into the image memory (27) of the image defining a characteristic shape and coloring thereof and a server system (33) connected to the processing computer device (25) by a transmission network so as to transmit said information information to the server system (33) image, the server system (33) being adapted to compare this image information with preset image data relating to typical lesions and transmit to the computer device processing processor (25) at least one image closest, in shape and coloring, to that represented by the image information received as well as the most convincing diagnosis, the computer device (25) controlling the simultaneous viewing, on video screen (23), of the endoscopic image to be analyzed and of the image of the typical lesion as well as the most convincing medical diagnosis.  5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that the computer device (25) comprises a mass memory (30) in which are stored two or more colored endoscopic images taken by the video camera (2) respectively during two or more consultations and controls a device (24) for reading the aforementioned laser videodisc on which the two or more colored endoscopic images are recorded, the computer device (25) being arranged to count the pixels, relating to a coloration of a given lesion, of each of the endoscopic images stored in the mass memory (30) or recorded on the laser videodisc and simultaneously viewed on the video screen (23) and determining the differences between the number of pixels of successive images, the results of the difference operations also being displayed on the video screen (23).  6. System according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the data relating to the aforementioned typical lesion images are preset on a laser videodisc associated with the server system (33).  7. System according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the endoscopic digital image stored in the aforementioned image memory (27) during a consultation is processed by the computer device (25) with those stored in the mass memory (30) or recorded in the laser videodisc to calculate the aforementioned differences.  8. System according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that it comprises other video cameras (3-8) providing video images characteristic of additional medical data and a video camera (9) providing an image of the patient's morphotype, the video cameras (3-9) as well as the video camera (2) providing the endoscopic image being connected to a mixer (1), the output of which is connected to the computer device (25) and to the device (24) recording and playback of the laser video disc.  9. System according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the aforementioned video images are also recorded on a magnetic tape of a video cassette.