JP2004180834A - Display method of image for medical use in scan room - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display method of images for medical use in a scan room in which costs are lowered by simple constitution without installing a display device requiring a measure against electrical noise inside the scan room. <P>SOLUTION: A shield plate and a screen are provided on the opening part of a wall surface constituting the scan room A, and an image display controller and a projector for performing the image processing and display of the images for the medical use acquired from an MRI device are provided in a photographing control room B. The acquired medical images are inverted by an image inversion part of the image display controller and the inverted images inverted by the image inversion part are projected to the screen by the projector. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for displaying a medical image in a scan room, wherein a magnetic resonance image of a subject captured by a medical imaging device such as an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) device installed in a scan room is displayed in the scan room. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for displaying a medical image in a scan room that can display a desired image in a scan room without using a display device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as an “MRI apparatus”) has been widely used when performing a detailed examination of a whole body or a diagnosis of a brain tumor or the like. An MRI apparatus images the internal structure of an object to be imaged by a nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon. Since imaging using this nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon is harmless to a living body, it is considered to be particularly useful as a medical diagnosis. ing.
[0003]
Normally, when performing an MRI diagnosis using the MRI apparatus, the MRI apparatus is installed in a scan room provided with an RF shield, and an imaging control room is provided in a separate room separated from the scan room. In addition to using a stationary operation console, the operation console captures magnetic resonance imaging (MRI images) of the subject.
[0004]
Further, a display device such as an LCD monitor for displaying an MRI image captured by the MRI apparatus may be installed in a scan room in which the MRI apparatus is installed. For example, when performing a biopsy or thermo-therapy in a medical examination, the display device displays a puncture needle or a probe while a technician in a scan room looks at a captured image displayed on the display device. It is used for checking the insertion position (insertion direction).
[0005]
As a conventional technique for displaying an image in a scan room in which the above-described MRI apparatus is installed, a screen is provided inside the apparatus main body (in a gantry) of the MRI apparatus, and an image is projected on the screen by a projector. A technique of projecting and displaying a desired image by this projection (for example, see Patent Document 1) is disclosed.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-64-86962
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the case of the above-described conventional technology, there are the following problems. That is, the inside of the scan room where the MRI apparatus is generally installed has a strong magnetic field. In addition, since the MRI apparatus is easily affected by electric noise generated from an electronic device such as a display device, if the MRI apparatus is adversely affected by the noise, the captured image may be disturbed or an accurate MRI image may not be obtained. In addition, there is a problem that it may not be possible to obtain the data, and there is a problem that an erroneous diagnosis is caused. For this reason, the display device main body and its display surface (LCD screen) are subjected to relatively strong shielding.
[0008]
In addition, the connection cable that connects the display device installed in the scan room to the operation console in the imaging control room is also strongly shielded, and the wall of the scan room through which this connection cable passes (penetration) Section) is provided with a connector made of sheet metal subjected to special processing.
[0009]
As described above, when a display device such as an LCD monitor is installed in a scan room in which an MRI apparatus is installed, the display device needs to be subjected to a shield process or the like for noise countermeasures. There is a problem that becomes.
[0010]
Further, even in the case of the technique described in the conventional publication, it is necessary to provide a projector for projecting a desired image on a screen in the scan room. For this reason, as described above, there is a problem in that the electrical noise from the projector may adversely affect the MRI apparatus such as image disorder and display failure.
[0011]
In this case as well, it is conceivable to apply a shielding process or the like as a noise countermeasure to the projector. However, as described above, in this case, the trouble and the product cost due to the shielding process increase.
[0012]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described drawbacks of the related art, and provides a method for displaying a medical image in a scan room in which a display device that causes electrical noise does not need to be provided in the scan room. The purpose is to:
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Invention]
In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an invention according to a first aspect is directed to a medical image display apparatus for displaying a medical image acquired from a medical imaging apparatus installed in a scan room. A display method, wherein an opening is formed in a part of a wall surface constituting the scan room, and the opening includes a transparent shield plate and a screen, and the imaging control room is separated from the scan room. An image display control device that performs image processing on a medical image acquired from the medical imaging device, and a projection unit that projects image data image-processed by the image display control device on the screen, The image display control device has an image inverting unit that inverts and converts the image data, and the projecting unit includes The rolling image data, characterized in that the projection against the screen.
[0014]
According to the invention according to the first aspect, an opening is formed in a part of the wall surface constituting the scan room, and the opening is provided with a shield plate and a screen, and the imaging is separated from the scan room. The control room includes an image display control device that performs image processing on a medical image acquired from the medical imaging device, and a projection unit that projects image data that has been image-processed by the image display control device onto a screen. The medical image acquired from the medical imaging apparatus is subjected to image processing by the image processing device of the image display control device, and then the image data acquired by the image inverting unit is subjected to inversion conversion. The image data is projected onto the screen by the projection means through the transparent shield plate.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a method for displaying a medical image in a scan room according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0016]
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a scan room and an imaging control room to which a method for displaying a medical image in a scan room according to the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is an enlarged configuration diagram showing details of a shield plate and a screen on which an image captured by the MRI apparatus is projected, and FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of the image display control device. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure according to the medical image display method according to the present invention.
[0017]
That is, as shown in FIG. 1, an apparatus main body 110 a constituting the MRI apparatus 110 and a table 120 on which a subject is placed are installed in a scan room A, and the scan room A is provided with a radiation magnetic field from the MRI apparatus 110. The entire scan room A (wall surfaces 100a and 100b) is surrounded by an RF shield (magnetic shield) in order to prevent leakage of the magnetic field and intrusion of a disturbance magnetic field from the outside. The biopsy and MRI imaging of the subject by the MRI apparatus 110 are performed by a laboratory technician in the scan room A.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 2, a rectangular opening 200 (window) is provided in the wall surface 100 a of the wall surfaces 100 a and 100 b constituting the scan room A, and a screen 210 and a shield are provided inside the opening 200. The surfaces facing the plate 220 are fitted in a state where they are adhered or separated from each other.
[0019]
Among them, the screen 210 employs a screen of only white sheet (PVC) having no back coating on one side. The screen 210 is preferably made of a nonmetallic material that is not easily affected by a strong magnetic field.
[0020]
An acrylic plate or the like having a function of transmitting light is used for the shield plate 220, and a plurality of fine copper wires for blocking noise are embedded inside the shield plate 220. For the opening 200 into which the shield plate 220 and the screen 210 are fitted, a monitoring window conventionally formed in the scan room A can be used.
[0021]
In this example, the shield plate 220 is provided on the imaging control room B side of the opening 200 and the screen 210 is provided on the scan room A side. However, the arrangement of the shield plate 220 and the screen 210 may be reversed. .
[0022]
On the other hand, the imaging control room B is provided with a projector 130 and an image display control device 300 (FIG. 3). The image display control device 300 includes a personal computer 310 that performs image processing using medical images such as magnetic resonance images acquired from the MRI device 110 as image data, and an image processing device 320 that has an image reversing unit 330.
[0023]
The image reversing unit 330 has a function of converting the medical image acquired from the MRI apparatus 110 into image data obtained by reversing the left and right. Here, in the present example, the personal computer 310 provided with the image display control device for performing image processing on the medical image acquired from the MRI apparatus 110 is provided, but the image display control device is provided on the operation console for the operator. It may have a function.
[0024]
The projector 130 is installed at a position facing the opening 200 formed on the wall surface 100a. The projector 130 has a function of projecting an inverted image inverted by the image inverting unit 330 (FIG. 3) on the back surface 210 b of the screen 210. Therefore, the photographed image projected on the back surface portion 210b of the screen 210 is a left-right inverted image. Then, as will be described later, when the inspection technician views the left-right inverted image from the scan room A side, it can be viewed as a normal MRI image.
[0025]
Here, commands related to scan control such as start and stop of scanning in the MRI apparatus 110 and change of a scan plane, and commands for switching captured images displayed on the screen 210 are provided by operating buttons provided on the MRI apparatus 110. (Not shown) to input.
[0026]
The switching of the image displayed on the screen 210 can also be performed by the operation console or the personal computer 310 by the operator in the imaging control room B. In this example, a projector is employed as a projection unit for projecting an image on the screen 210. However, the projector is not limited to the projector, and an existing projector can be used.
[0027]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for displaying a medical image in a scan room according to the present invention. FIGS. 5A to 5C show an MRI image of the subject captured by the MRI apparatus 110 and an image projected on the screen 200. Hereinafter, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 and FIGS. 5A to 5C, details of the processing procedure in the medical image display method according to the first embodiment will be described. In this example, MRI imaging of the abdomen of the subject will be described as an example.
[0028]
That is, as shown in FIG. 4, first, an image of a subject to be imaged is photographed by the MRI apparatus 110 installed in the scan room A (step S410), and the photographed image data is subjected to photographing control. The image data is transmitted to the room B and is acquired as image data by the storage section of the personal computer 310 (FIG. 3) (step S420). FIG. 5A illustrates an example of image data of a subject acquired by the personal computer 310.
[0029]
Next, the image data obtained in step S420 is processed by the image processing unit 320 of the image display control device 300 (FIG. 3), and is inverted by the image inverting unit 330 (step S430). For this reason, the captured image projected on the back surface 210b of the screen 210 is an image in which the left and right are reversed. FIG. 5B shows image data whose right and left have been inverted by the image inverting unit 330.
[0030]
Hereinafter, the image data that has been inverted in step S430 as described above is projected by the projector 130 on the back surface 210b of the screen 210 through the shield plate 220, and is projected as an MRI image (step S440). The left and right inverted image can be viewed as a normal MRI image as shown in FIG. 5C when the inspection technician views the image from the scan room A side (the surface portion 210a).
[0031]
As described above, in the first embodiment, the projection unit (projector 130) serving as a source of electrical noise is arranged outside scan room A, and only the light projected by projector 130 is provided in scan room A. It is configured to allow entry. For this reason, it is possible to reliably avoid adverse effects due to electrical noise. Accordingly, since it is not necessary to take a special noise countermeasure, a display device is not required, and a medical image display method which is inexpensive with a simple configuration and does not increase the cost can be realized.
[0032]
(Embodiment 2)
Next, a method of displaying a medical image in the scan room according to the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, in the second embodiment, the projector 130 as a projection unit is arranged inside the wall surface 100b (the ceiling) of the scan room A, and the opening 611 (FIG. 7) is formed in the wall surface 100b. The shield plate 620 is fitted into the opening 611. As the shield plate 620, an acrylic plate having a light transmitting function in which a plurality of copper wires are embedded is used as in the first embodiment.
[0033]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the screen 610 is provided in the scan room A at a position facing the projection surface of the projector 130 by suspending means (not shown) such as a wire. When the screen 610 is not in use, the hanging means can be removed and stored.
[0034]
In the second embodiment, since the projector 130 is installed inside the wall surface 100b (the ceiling), the image display control device 300 (FIG. 3) A connection line for connecting the personal computer 310 of the display control device 300 and the projector 130 is provided. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.
[0035]
In the second embodiment, image data projected from projector 130 is projected as a left-right inverted image on rear surface 610 b of screen 610 via shield plate 620 provided in opening 611. In the same manner as in the first embodiment, the left-right inverted image projected on the back surface portion 610b of the screen 610 is the same as that shown in FIG. It can be seen as a normal MRI image as shown in FIG.
[0036]
As described above, in the second embodiment, the projection unit (projector 130) serving as a source of electrical noise is arranged outside the scan room A in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above. Is configured such that only light projected by the projector 130 can enter. For this reason, an adverse effect due to noise can be reliably avoided. Accordingly, since it is not necessary to take a special noise countermeasure, a display device is not required, and a medical image display method which is inexpensive with a simple configuration and does not increase the cost can be realized.
[0037]
In the first and second embodiments described above, an MRI apparatus using a nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon has been described as a medical imaging apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to an MRI apparatus, and may be, for example, an X-ray imaging apparatus. The present invention can be preferably applied to a CT (Computed Tomography) apparatus for performing tomography. In addition, in the case of this CT device, a countermeasure for preventing X-rays from leaking outside is required in addition to a countermeasure for electric noise.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the projection unit serving as a source of electrical noise is arranged outside the scan room, and only the projection light from the projection unit can enter the scan room. . For this reason, since an adverse effect due to noise can be reliably avoided, there is an effect that a good MRI image display without image distortion or display failure can be realized.
[0039]
Further, according to the present invention, since an MRI image acquired from the MRI apparatus can be viewed from a short distance in front of the screen, there is an effect that problems such as erroneous diagnosis can be avoided.
[0040]
Further, according to the present invention, since it is not necessary to take any special noise countermeasures, a display device is not required, and an effect is achieved that a medical image display method can be realized at a low cost without increasing the cost by a simple configuration. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a scan room and an imaging control room to which a medical image display method according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged configuration diagram illustrating details of a shield plate and a screen on which an image captured by an MRI apparatus is projected.
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image display control device.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure according to a medical image display method according to the present invention.
5A is an MRI image of a subject taken by an MRI apparatus, FIG. 5B is an MRI image of the subject projected on a screen, and FIG. 5C is a subject viewed from an imaging control room; 3 is an MRI image.
FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a scan room to which the medical image display method according to the second embodiment is applied;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged configuration diagram showing an arrangement of a screen.
[Explanation of symbols]
A Scan room B Imaging control room 100a, b Wall surface 110 MRI apparatus 110a Main body 120 Table 130 Projector 200, 611 Opening 210, 610 Screen 210a, 610a Surface part 210b, 610b Back part 220, 620 Shield plate 300 Image display control device 310 Personal computer 320 Image processing device 330 Image reversing unit

Claims (1)

A method for displaying a medical image in a scan room that performs display of a medical image acquired from a medical imaging device installed in a scan room,
An opening is formed in a part of the wall surface constituting the scan room, and the opening includes a shield plate and a screen,
In the imaging control room separated from the scan room, an image display control device that performs image processing on a medical image acquired from the medical imaging device,
Projection means for projecting image data on which image processing has been performed by the image display control device onto the screen,
The image display control device has an image inverting unit that inverts the image data,
The method of displaying a medical image in a scan room, wherein the projection unit projects the image data inverted by the image inversion unit onto the screen.

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