JP2004208954A - Medical diagnostic imaging system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lighten the burden imposed upon the operator of a medial diagnostic imaging system by reducing the number of monitors used for displaying the state of a subject. <P>SOLUTION: In a gantry chamber, cameras 601 and 602 are hung from the ceiling for monitoring the state of the subject. In addition, a gantry 100 is provided with a cameras 101 102 which image the subject from the right above the subject and a camera 102 from a horizontal direction, respectively. The video information captured by means of the cameras 601, 602, 101, and 102 is outputted to an operation console 200. The console 200 sets a scanning plan or monitors the subject by only changing a line of vision in the same image by displaying the images inputted from the cameras 601, 602, 101, and 102 on part of the display screen of a CRT 56. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a medical image diagnostic system such as an X-ray CT system.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Medical equipment, particularly a medical image diagnostic system represented by an X-ray CT (Computed Tomography) system, includes a device for scanning a subject (generally called a gantry), a device having a top plate for lying down the subject, An operation console is provided for performing a scan plan setting operation and reconstructing a tomographic image based on transmitted X-ray data obtained by controlling a gantry and a table device (for example, Patent Document 1).
[0003]
As is well known, an X-ray tube is mounted on a gantry and emits X-rays to a subject at different angles. In this connection, doctors and technicians operate an operation console installed in a separate room (hereinafter, console room) from a room in which the gantry and the table device are installed (hereinafter, gantry room).
[0004]
For the patient, the patient feels like being left in an unattended room during the scan. It is also installed on a stand and monitored by a monitor installed on the console room side.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-212137 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, the doctor and the technician in the console room must perform the operation while watching the screen of the monitoring monitor and the screen of the operation console, which is a heavy burden. Further, if there are two or three monitoring monitors instead of one, the burden becomes even greater. In addition, since a space for installing the monitor is required, the operation of the operation console may be inevitably hindered.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and reduces the number of monitors when displaying the state of a subject, reduces a burden on an operator, a medical image diagnostic system, an operation console thereof, a control method thereof, and It is intended to provide a computer program and a computer-readable storage medium.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve such a problem, for example, a medical image diagnostic system of the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
A scanning device for scanning a subject, and a medical image diagnostic system having an operation console for remotely controlling the scanning device,
Input means for inputting an image from at least one camera installed near the scanning device or the scanning device to image a subject to be scanned;
Display control means for displaying video information input by the input means is provided on a part of a display screen of a display device used for setting a scan plan by the scanning device.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiment, an X-ray CT system will be described as an example of a medical image diagnostic system. However, the present invention can be applied to an MRI system and other medical image diagnostic systems.
[0010]
<Outline of description>
FIG. 1 is an X-ray CT system diagram in the embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 100 denotes a gantry as a scanning device, and 300 denotes a table device that lays down the subject and guides the subject toward the gantry 100. An operation console 200 reconstructs an X-ray tomographic image based on transmission X-ray data obtained by setting a scan plan and scanning the gantry 100.
[0011]
As shown in the figure, the gantry 100 and the table device 300 are installed in a gantry room, and the operation console 200 is installed in a separate room from the console room.
[0012]
400 is a microphone, and 500 is a speaker with a built-in amplifier. This microphone is used to talk to a patient (subject) in the gantry room, for example, "Stop breathing", "Do not move", and the like.
[0013]
601 and 602 are ceiling-mounted surveillance cameras. The cameras 601 and 602 photograph the vicinity of the cavity and the state of the subject from the front and back of the gantry 100, and output the video signals to the operation console 200. I do.
[0014]
Cameras 101 and 102 are also fixed to the gantry 100, and are also output to the operation console 200. The camera 101 is for photographing the subject from almost directly above, and the camera 102 is for photographing the subject from substantially the horizontal direction.
[0015]
As is well known, the gantry 100 includes an X-ray tube 4 as an X-ray source and an X-ray detector 8 that detects X-rays emitted from the X-ray tube 4 and transmitted through the subject. Provided on the rotating body 3 having the same. The rotation of the rotating body 3 causes the subject to emit X-rays from different angles, and detects the transmitted X-ray intensity to reconstruct an X-ray tomographic image. Is an X-ray CT system. The X-ray tube 4 and the X-ray detector 8 also perform a circular motion by the rotational motion of the rotating body 3, and the trajectory surface of the circle at that time is called a scan surface. In the drawing, reference numeral 110 is this scan plane.
[0016]
The cameras 101 and 102 described above are set so that the scan plane 110 enters the field of view. Note that an axis orthogonal to the scan plane 110 is generally called a Z axis. The table device 300 is provided with a top plate 301 for laying down the subject, and extending the top plate 301 along the Z axis (also indicated by the arrow A in the figure) allows the Z axis of the subject to be extended. The desired position is moved to the scan plane 110 to scan the affected part. Since the top plate 301 is exposed to X-rays together with the subject, it is desired that the top plate 301 is made of a material that easily transmits X-rays and has a strength to maintain the state where the subject is mounted. In general, a foamed material such as acrylic is wrapped and reinforced with CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) or the like.
[0017]
Although the description of the main parts in FIG. 1 is as described above, other reference numerals will be clarified in FIG. 2 described below.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram mainly showing the operation console 200 and the gantry 100 in the embodiment.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 2, the gantry 100 includes the following configuration including the controller 1 that controls the entire control.
[0020]
Reference numeral 2 denotes an interface for communicating with the operation console 200, and reference numeral 3 denotes a rotating body having a cavity for accommodating a subject (a subject), and an X-ray generator driven and controlled by the X-ray tube controller 5. An X-ray tube 4 as a source and a collimator 6 having a slit defining an X-ray irradiation range are provided.
[0021]
The rotator 3 includes an X-ray detection unit 8 including a plurality of detection elements that detect X-rays transmitted through the subject, and a data collection unit 9 that collects data obtained from the X-ray detection unit 8. Also have. The X-ray tube 4 and the X-ray detector 8 are provided at positions facing each other with the cavity 110 interposed therebetween. Has become. This rotation is performed by a rotation motor 10 driven by a drive signal of a motor controller 11. An operation panel 12 is provided on a side surface of the gantry and includes various switches and a simple liquid crystal display.
[0022]
On the other hand, the operation console 200 is a so-called workstation, and includes a CPU 51 for controlling the entire apparatus, a ROM 52 for storing a boot program and a BIOS, and a RAM 53 for functioning as a main storage as shown in the figure. Is provided.
[0023]
The HDD 54 is a hard disk device, in which an OS, a diagnostic program for giving various instructions to the gantry device 100 and reconstructing an X-ray tomographic image based on data received from the gantry device 100 are stored. . The VRAM 55 is a memory for expanding the image data to be displayed, and by expanding the image data and the like here, it can be displayed on the CRT 56. 57 and 58 are a keyboard and a mouse (registered trademark) for performing various settings. Reference numeral 59 denotes an interface for communicating with the gantry device 100. Reference numeral 60 denotes a video interface for inputting images from the cameras 101 and 102 of the gantry 100 described above and the cameras 601 and 602 for monitoring the ceiling.
[0024]
<Description of processing overview>
In the above configuration, the operation console 200 in the embodiment operates as follows.
[0025]
A doctor or a technician (hereinafter simply referred to as “operator”) operates the keyboard 57 and the mouse 58 on various setting menus displayed on the CRT 56 of the operation console 200 to set a scan plan and issue a scan start instruction. Receives the transmitted X-ray data transmitted from the gantry 100 via the interface 59 and reconstructs an X-ray tomographic image according to the scan plan. Meanwhile, the individual images input from the video interface 60 are transmitted to the CRT 56. Display.
[0026]
This eliminates or reduces the number of monitoring monitors that had to be prepared separately from the CRT 56 in the past, and saves space.
[0027]
An example of the display screen of the CRT 56 is, for example, as shown in FIG.
In the figure, 560 indicates the entire display screen of the CRT 56, and 561 is an area for displaying the same scan plan and X-ray tomographic image as before. The scan plan and the manner of displaying the X-ray tomographic image itself are not directly related to the present invention, and are omitted in the drawings.
[0028]
In the figure, reference numerals 562 to 565 denote windows for displaying images of the monitoring cameras 601 and 602 for hanging from the ceiling and the cameras 101 and 102 installed on the gantry 100, respectively.
[0029]
The operator can display various settings and reconstructed images and the state of the subject on the same screen, and thus can see them with a small amount of visual line fluctuation. That is, the burden can be remarkably reduced as compared with the conventional environment in which a plurality of physical monitors must be viewed.
[0030]
However, since a space for displaying an image captured by the camera is required, it is desired that the monitor 56 according to the embodiment is a device having a large resolution corresponding to the space for displaying the captured image and having a high resolution.
[0031]
In the above description, images taken by all cameras are displayed. However, for example, images to be displayed may be switched. FIG. 2B shows this example. In the figure, reference numeral 567 denotes a window for displaying a captured image, and four buttons indicated by reference numeral 568 below the window select a source of the displayed image. As shown in the figure, the button corresponding to the displayed image is distinguished from the other buttons by increasing the luminance or the like, so as to inform the user of the image from which camera. When the user wants to view an image from another camera, the user switches the button by clicking the mouse 58 with the mouse 58. The CPU 51 only needs to input and display only the video from one terminal of the video interface 60 corresponding to the selected video. In addition, since only one image is displayed, the burden on the CPU 51 can be reduced as compared with FIG. 3A, and the area that can be used for setting the CT scan plan and the like is sufficient. , So that a particularly large size and high resolution are not required.
[0032]
Next, the reason why the region 566 in FIGS. 3A and 3B is provided will be described. This area 566 is prepared to increase the brightness or turn the color red when the subject moves during the scan to prompt the operator for a warning.
[0033]
In X-ray CT, X-rays are emitted to the subject at different rotation angles of the rotating body 3 to reconstruct an X-ray tomographic image. It is hoped that they are in the same state. This is because, if it moves during scanning, noise called artifact is generated in the reconstructed tomographic image.
When the chest (mainly the lungs) is scanned, it is easily understood from the fact that breathing is stopped and the like.
[0034]
As a use method when a warning is received from the area 566, for example, the operator uses the microphone 400 to request the subject not to move.
[0035]
In the present embodiment, the body movement of the subject is detected. Hereinafter, the principle will be described.
[0036]
It can be understood that the position for detecting the body motion may be the scan plane 110 in FIG.
[0037]
It is assumed that the head of the subject is being scanned. In this case, it is assumed that an image captured by the camera 101 of the gantry 100 provided almost directly above the subject is, for example, as shown by a solid line in FIG.
[0038]
As described above, since the camera 101 is fixed so that the scan plane 110 of the gantry 100 is within its field of view, the sub-scan line position of the scan plane 110 (see FIG. 1) in the captured image is set. Z ₀ becomes known.
[0039]
Further, since the color of the top plate 301 is also known, after all, paying attention to Z ₀ line in the photographed images, of a region 150 where the starting point 150a became color different from the color of the top plate 301 is present in the subject One edge coordinate position and its end point 150b can be calculated as the other edge coordinate position.
[0040]
Then, after the lapse of Δt, for example, when the broken line in the drawing becomes as shown, the edge coordinates 151a and 151b of the region 151 of the subject can be calculated in the same manner. Then, if the absolute value of the difference between the respective edges of the previous and current regions exceeds a preset allowable range value, it may be determined that the subject has moved. If the camera has a photographing capability of 30 frames per second, the Δt is n / 30 seconds (n = 1, 2,...).
[0041]
The above description is for the camera 101 that photographs from almost directly above the subject, but the same applies to the camera 102 that photographs from the horizontal direction.
[0042]
As an application of the camera 102 for photographing from the horizontal direction, for example, it is suitable for detecting apnea when breathing should occur and the thickness of the chest to change, or for detecting a change in abdominal swelling. The detection principle is the same, except that the background of the subject in the captured image is the color of the cavity of the gantry and the color of the top plate 301.
[0043]
The principle of body movement detection has been described above, but the processing of the CPU 51 may be performed according to, for example, a flowchart shown in FIG. In the following the Z ₁ in the description, the scan plane 110 in a video image obtained by photographing by the camera 102 indicates the sub-scanning line position is located. This process is started when the operation console 200 gives an instruction to start scanning.
[0044]
First, enter the sub-scanning direction Z ₀ line data in the video from the camera 101 in step S1, to calculate the two edge coordinates in the width direction of the subject (the horizontal direction). In step S2, enter the sub-scanning direction Z ₁ line data in the video from the camera 102, and calculates the two edge coordinates of the object in the thickness direction (direction perpendicular to the floor surface).
[0045]
Next, the process proceeds to step S3, where the absolute value of the difference between the currently calculated edge coordinate in the width direction of the subject and the previously calculated edge coordinate is calculated, and whether or not the absolute value is equal to or less than a preset threshold value, Determine if it is within the allowable range. If it is determined that the difference is within the allowable range, the process proceeds to step S4, where the absolute value of the difference between the currently calculated edge coordinate in the thickness direction and the previously calculated edge coordinate is calculated, and the calculated absolute value is equal to or smaller than a preset threshold value. By determining whether or not there is a change, it is determined whether or not the change is within an allowable range.
[0046]
If it is determined that both are within the allowable range, the process waits for a time ΔT (for example, a period during which the next frame is input) until the next determination timing is reached in step S5.
[0047]
If it is determined that either step S3 or S4 has exceeded the allowable range, it is determined that the subject has moved, and the alarm process of step S6 is performed. In the embodiment, a process of lighting the screen area 566 shown in FIG. 3A or FIG. 3B for an appropriate time is performed.
[0048]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the state of the subject is displayed on the display device of the operation console 200, so that a conventionally required monitoring monitor is unnecessary or the number thereof can be reduced. Become. Therefore, the space in the console room can be saved, and the burden on the operator can be reduced.
[0049]
In addition, although it was necessary to watch the video to determine whether the subject moved during the scan or whether or not the subject moved, in the case of the present embodiment, the computer automatically determines and actively notifies the operator, Can concentrate on the original work, and even if the subject moves, the operator can be notified within the visual field of the operator, so that the operator can be alerted.
[0050]
Note that the method of notification when there is a body motion is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, if the frame of the window displaying the image is blinked, the area 566 becomes unnecessary, and it may be acoustically notified.
[0051]
Further, in the above embodiment, the detection of the body motion is described as referring to the data of one line where the scan plane 110 is located in the video, but may be applied to all the lines. In this case, however, a high load is imposed due to an increase in the amount of arithmetic processing. Therefore, desirably, several lines are desirable, and sufficient accuracy can be obtained.
[0052]
Further, since the cameras 101 and 102 cannot be arranged on the scan plane 110, the subject is imaged from a slightly oblique direction. Therefore, strictly speaking, the scan plane 110 that crosses over the subject in the video is photographed with a slight curvature, but since the purpose of the cameras 101 and 102 is originally to detect the body motion of the subject, it is appropriate. This is not a problem, and it is sufficient if the positions of Z ₀ and Z ₁ in the image are in the vicinity of the scan plane 110.
[0053]
In the embodiment, the body motion detection is described as calculating the edge coordinates of a specific line in the video data. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0054]
For example, the absolute value of the difference in pixel units between the image data of one line at the _Z0 position photographed this time and the image data of one line at the same position photographed last time may be calculated, and the total value thereof may be calculated. . When there is no or small body movement, the total value is 0 or a value close to 0, and the larger the degree of the body movement, the larger the total value. This is because it can be determined whether the former is larger than the latter. In this case, although the calculation of the difference value is performed for the number of pixels in one line, there is an advantage that the background color does not need to be considered at all.
[0055]
Furthermore, since the CPU 51 of the operation console 200 performs the receiving process and the reconstructing process of the transmitted X-ray data from the gantry 100 during the scanning, it is expected that the burden required for the above-mentioned body motion inspection process will increase. You.
[0056]
Therefore, the body motion test may be processed by a device different from the operation console, and only the result may be notified to the operation console.
[0057]
Further, in the embodiment, the operation console 200 has been described as capturing using the video interface 60, but the video interface is not necessarily required. For example, if a network camera is adopted as a video camera, the operation console 200 only needs to input digital data from a plurality of cameras if it has a network interface, and if it is a network camera, it can be remotely operated. good.
[0058]
Furthermore, as is clear from the above embodiment, this embodiment is not limited by the X-ray CT system. For example, it could be applied to an MRI system. In short, the present invention can be applied to a medical image diagnostic system including a scanning device such as a gantry and an operation console for remotely controlling the scanning device.
[0059]
Further, as can be easily inferred from the description of the embodiments, although the present invention requires the hardware of a camera, most of the processing can be performed by software. And Further, since a computer program usually sets a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM and installs or copies the same, it is obvious that the present invention also includes such a computer-readable storage medium.
[0060]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the number of monitors for displaying the state of the subject and reduce the burden on the operator.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an X-ray CT system configuration according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of a gantry and an operation console according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of an operation console according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the principle of body motion detection of the subject in the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a body motion detection processing procedure of a subject in the embodiment.

Claims (10)

A scanning device for scanning a subject, and a medical image diagnostic system having an operation console for remotely controlling the scanning device,
Input means for inputting an image from at least one camera installed near the scanning device or the scanning device to image a subject to be scanned;
A medical image diagnostic system, comprising: a display control means for displaying video information input by the input means on a part of a display screen of a display device used for setting a scan plan by the scanning device. Further, based on an image captured by the camera, a detection unit that detects information related to the body movement of the subject,
Determining means for determining whether there has been any body movement exceeding a predetermined allowable range based on the information detected by the detecting means;
2. The medical image diagnostic system according to claim 1, further comprising: a notifying unit for notifying when the determining unit determines that there is a body movement exceeding an allowable range. The medical image diagnostic system according to claim 2, wherein the scanning device is an X-ray CT or MRI gantry. The medical image diagnostic system according to claim 3, wherein the camera is provided in the gantry, and captures an image with a scan field in the gantry as a field of view. 5. The medical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detecting unit detects a body motion based on image partial data in a vicinity of a position where a scan plane scanned by the scanning device is located in a captured image. Diagnostic imaging system. The medical image diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the camera is a camera fixed to a ceiling of a room where the scanning device is installed. An operation console in a medical image diagnostic system that remotely controls a scanning device that scans a subject,
Input means for inputting an image from at least one camera installed near the scanning device or the scanning device;
An operation console in a medical diagnostic imaging system, comprising: display control means for displaying video information input by the input means on a part of a display screen of a display device used for setting a scan plan by the scanning device. . A method of controlling an operation console in a medical image diagnostic system that remotely controls a scanning device that scans a subject,
An input step of inputting an image from at least one camera installed near the scanning device or the scanning device;
A display control step of displaying image information input in the input step on a part of a display screen of a display device used for setting a scan plan by the scanning device. Control method. A computer program for an operation console in a medical image diagnostic system that remotely controls a scanning device that scans a subject,
Input means for inputting an image from at least one camera installed near the scanning device or the scanning device;
A computer program functioning as display control means for displaying video information input by the input means on a part of a display screen of a display device used for setting a scan plan by the scanning device. A computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program according to claim 9.

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