JP2006084264A - Color chart and image processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing system which performs calibration for colors of a color image obtained by photographing a color chart together with a subject, in which management of photographed images becomes easy and precise by allowing correspondence between a photographed image and a color chart used for photographing the photographed image to be easily identified. <P>SOLUTION: The color chart 1 is configured such that a standard area 11, on which at least one color of color material is coated, is formed on the front side of a sheet-like member 10 and that a microchip 14 storing unique identification information is embedded in the inside of the sheet-like member 10, wherein the identification information can be wirelessly read from the outside. The image processing system is configured such that images are managed using the identification information read from the color chart 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet-like color chart used for color calibration of a color image, and an image processing system.

  For example, in the medical field, image data relating to an affected area of a patient is acquired at different times, and the follow-up of treatment is performed on the affected area by browsing and comparing a plurality of acquired image data afterwards. ing. As described above, when a plurality of pieces of image data are acquired for the purpose of comparison, it is preferable to set the photographing conditions such as the illumination environment to the subject to be the same.

  However, since the shooting times and shooting locations of a plurality of image data to be compared are generally different, it is virtually impossible to match the shooting conditions. For this reason, when a plurality of image data are reproduced, the subject under different conditions is reproduced. For example, if the illumination lights to the subjects at the time of shooting a plurality of image data are different from each other, the same subject is reproduced with different colors between the plurality of image data at the time of reproduction. For this reason, when reproducing a plurality of image data, there has been a problem that the reproduced objects cannot be accurately compared.

  Therefore, conventionally, at the time of image acquisition, a color chart (color chart) composed of known color components is photographed together with a subject, and a plurality of pieces of image data are compared under the same conditions based on the color chart image included in the color image. (For example, Patent Document 1).

  However, in the medical field etc., the affected part of different patients is often photographed continuously. In this case, among the plurality of captured images obtained by continuous imaging, the correspondence between which captured image captured which patient was managed exclusively by the on-site staff.

  Therefore, conventionally, there is a possibility that the correspondence between the captured image and the patient is managed in an incorrect state, and there is a high possibility that a medical error will occur.

JP-A-9-5164

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional problems, and it is possible to easily specify which color chart the photographed image was photographed to manage the photographed image easily and easily. It is an object to provide a color chart and an image processing system that are accurate.

  To achieve the above object, the color chart according to the present invention is a sheet-like color sheet used for calibrating the color of a color image, and at least one color is provided on the surface side of the sheet-like member. A reference region to which a material is applied is formed, and a microchip for storing unique identification information is embedded in the sheet-like member so that the identification information can be read wirelessly from the outside. Is.

  This color chart has a structure in which a first sheet-like member, a second sheet-like member, and a mount are bonded together in this order via an adhesive material, and the first sheet-like member is relatively adhesive. A state in which the second sheet-like member is bonded to the second sheet-like member with a weak adhesive material, and the second sheet-like member is peelable from the mount with a relatively strong adhesive material. It is preferable to be bonded together.

  Moreover, in the said color chart, it is preferable that the said identification information is printed on a part of surface of the said sheet-like member.

  An image processing system according to the present invention is a system for inputting an image obtained by simultaneously photographing a color chart and a subject, and generating image data from which the influence of illumination light is removed from the image, from the color chart, The image forming apparatus includes a reading unit that reads identification information stored in the color chart, and a recording unit that records the identification information in association with the image.

  In this image processing system, it is preferable that the recording unit is configured to write the identification information to the attached data of the image file related to the image.

  In the image processing system, it is preferable that the recording unit is configured to record the file name of the image file related to the image including the identification information.

  The image processing system may further include a medical database that manages patient information, and the recording unit further associates the patient information of the patient who is the imaging target of the image with the identification information so as to associate the medical information. It is preferable to be configured to record against a business database.

  In this image processing system, it is more preferable that the recording unit is configured to further record the diagnosis result based on the image in the medical database.

  According to the color chart of the present invention, since the unique identification information can be wirelessly read from the microchip embedded in the sheet-like member, the identification information is read into an image and other information. By associating, it becomes possible to easily identify which color chart the image was taken using, and to manage the image and other information easily and accurately.

  In particular, the first sheet-like member, the second sheet-like member, and the mount have a structure in which the first sheet-like member is bonded to each other in this order via the adhesive material, and the first sheet-like member has a relatively weak adhesive force. The second sheet-like member is bonded in a peelable state to the second sheet-like member, and the second sheet-like member is bonded in a peelable state to the mount with a relatively strong adhesive. The first sheet-like member can be used for attaching to a subject, and the second sheet-like member can be used for attaching to a medical chart or the like.

  Moreover, the identification information memorize | stored in the microchip can be visually confirmed now by printing identification information on a part of surface of a sheet-like member.

  In addition, according to the image processing system of the present invention, the identification information stored in the color chart is read from the color chart used at the time of shooting, and the identification information is recorded in association with the image. It is possible to easily specify which captured image is captured using which color chart. Therefore, it is configured so that the captured image can be managed easily and accurately.

  In particular, the image processing system further includes a medical database that manages patient information, and is configured to record the patient information of the patient to be imaged and the identification information in association with each other in the medical database. Thus, the image and patient information can be associated with each other based on the identification information, and the management of the image and patient information can be performed accurately.

  Still further, by recording the diagnosis result by the image in association with the medical database, the image, the patient information, and the diagnosis result are associated with each other, so that comprehensive medical information can be accurately managed. .

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

  In this embodiment, in order to calibrate the color of the color image, a sheet-like color chart having a reference color patch coated with a known reference color is used, and the color chart is photographed together with the subject.

  1 to 3 are diagrams showing the structure of the color chart 1 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the color chart 1 has a three-sheet structure in which a first sheet-like member 10, a second sheet-like member 20, and a mount 30 are bonded together in this order. FIG. 2 shows a state in which each sheet-like member having a three-sheet structure is separated. As shown in FIG. 2, the first sheet-like member 10 arranged on the most surface side of the color chart 1, The second sheet-like member 20 arranged at the intermediate position has the same reference color patches 12 and 22 on the respective surfaces.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a substantially square reference region 11 is formed at the center of the surface of the first sheet-like member 10, and at least one known color material is applied to the region 11. A color patch 12 is formed. Further, an identification information display field 13 is provided at the lower surface of the first sheet-like member 10, and identification information unique to the color chart 1 (“1234” in FIGS. 1 and 2) is printed there. Has been.

  Similarly, a reference region 21 is also formed at the center of the surface of the second sheet-like member 20, and the same reference color patch 22 as the reference color patch 12 of the first sheet-like member 10 is formed in the region 21. Yes. In addition, an identification information display field 23 is provided at the lower surface of the second sheet-like member 20, which is identification information unique to the color chart 1 and is printed on the first sheet-like member 10. The same identification information is printed.

  An adhesive material layer having a relatively weak adhesive force is formed on the back surface side of the first sheet-like member 10, and the first sheet-like member 10 is peelable from the second sheet-like member 20. Are pasted together. When photographing the subject using the color chart 1, the first sheet-like member 10 is peeled off from the second sheet-like member 20, and the first sheet-like member 10 is attached to the vicinity of the affected part of the subject. Be able to. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first sheet-like member 10 is an object to be photographed. Here, the adhesive force of the adhesive layer formed on the back side of the first sheet-like member 10 is relatively weak because the first sheet-like member 10 affixed near the affected area of the subject is This is so that it can be easily peeled off after shooting.

  Further, an adhesive material layer having a relatively strong adhesive force is formed on the back surface side of the second sheet-like member 20, and the second sheet-like member 20 is bonded to the mount 30 in a peelable state. The The second sheet-like member 20 is used for peeling off the mount 30 and sticking it mainly to a medical chart or the like. If the second sheet-like member 20 is affixed to a medical chart or the like, it is possible to visually confirm later which color chart 1 was used for image capturing. Here, the adhesive force of the adhesive layer formed on the back surface side of the second sheet-like member 20 is relatively strong because the second sheet-like member 20 affixed to a medical chart or the like is easy. This is to prevent peeling.

  A microchip 14 is embedded in a predetermined position of the first sheet-like member 10. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first sheet-like member 10. The first sheet-like member 10 has a structure in which a front side sheet 10a and a back side sheet 10b are bonded together by glue 10c, and the microchip 14 is interposed between the front side sheet 10a and the back side sheet 10b. Buried.

  The microchip 14 is a rectangular parallelepiped ultra-compact wireless IC chip having a wireless communication function and a ROM function and having a vertical and horizontal dimension of about 400 μm and a thickness of about 60 μm. The built-in ROM stores identification information unique to the color chart 1 as read-only data. Is stored as The identification information stored in the built-in ROM is the same information as the identification information printed on the surfaces of the first and second sheet-like members 10 and 20. The identification information stored in the built-in ROM is configured to be wirelessly output to the outside by the wireless communication function of the microchip 14. In other words, the identification information stored in the first sheet-like member 10 can be wirelessly read from the outside of the first sheet-like member 10 by the dedicated reading device. As such a microchip 14, for example, an antenna built-in muchip (manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd.) can be used.

  When photographing a subject using the color chart 1 having the above-described structure, for example, the first sheet-like member 10 is peeled off from the second sheet-like member 20 and attached to the vicinity of the affected part of the subject. The color chart 1 (in this case, the first sheet-like member 10) is photographed together with the subject, and the color of the color image is calibrated based on the image of the reference color patch 12 in the image processing system. In addition, the image processing system is configured to read identification information from the color chart 1 used for photographing, associate the identification information with the photographed image, and manage images and other information. Details of such an image processing system will be described below.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the image processing system 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the image processing system 100 includes a digital camera 200 that functions as an image input device, a computer 300a that functions as an image reproduction device, and a function of storing patient information such as an electronic medical record as a medical database. A computer 300b and a reading device 400 that wirelessly reads identification information from the color chart 1 are provided. The computers 300a and 300b are configured to be able to transmit and receive data to and from each other via the network 9 or the like, but these may be realized by a single computer.

  The digital camera 200 captures image data related to a color image by photographing the subject 81. In this photographing, as shown in FIG. 4, the color chart 1 serving as the reference subject is photographed simultaneously with the subject 81. Further, at the time of photographing, it is preferable that the digital camera 200 (imaging surface thereof) and the color chart 1 are arranged substantially in parallel so that the reference area of the color chart 1 is obtained as a substantially square area in the image. .

  Further, at the time of shooting, it is preferable that the color chart 1 is arranged so as to be positioned at approximately the center of the shooting range of the digital camera 200. In the digital camera 200, it is known that the luminance of the peripheral portion of the image is generally lowered by the shading of the lens unit 110, and each patch of the color chart 1 can be taken in a distorted manner because the peripheral portion of the image has a large lens distortion. This is because the image quality is prevented from being deteriorated due to the high performance.

  When the digital camera 200 captures the color chart 1 and the subject and acquires image data relating to the color image, the digital camera 200 generates object color component data described later from the image data and stores it in a memory card 91 that is a recording medium. The object color component data is transferred from the digital camera 200 to the computer 300a via the memory card 91. When the digital camera 200 and the computer 300a are connected via a communication cable, object color component data generated in conjunction with the shooting operation is directly transmitted from the digital camera 200 to the computer 300a via the communication cable. You may comprise.

  When the computer 300a receives object color component data from the digital camera 200, the computer 300a accumulates the object color component data as a database.

  Further, the computer 300a operates the reading device 400 before and after inputting object color component data from the digital camera 200, and the color chart 1 (more strictly, the first color chart attached to the subject 81 at the time of shooting). Wireless reading of the identification information set uniquely for the color chart 1 is executed from the microchip 14 incorporated in the sheet-like member 10). The read identification information is recorded in association with the object color component data in the computer 300a.

  Further, the computer 300a acquires the patient information of the patient who is the subject 81 from the medical database of the computer 300b, and updates the medical database by associating the patient information with the identification information read by the reading device 400. Configured.

  At the time of image diagnosis, the computer 300a extracts a plurality of object color component data for a specific patient to be diagnosed from the database, and reproduces the plurality of color image data under the same conditions. The user browses a plurality of color images reproduced and reproduced in this way, and compares subjects included in the images under the same conditions.

  In FIG. 4, only one digital camera 200 is drawn, but many may be included in the image processing system 100.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram mainly showing a schematic configuration of the computer 300a. As shown in FIG. 5, the computer 300a has a general computer system configuration in which a CPU 301, a ROM 302, and a RAM 303 are connected to a bus line. The bus line further includes a hard disk 304 for storing data and programs, a display 305 for displaying various information, a keyboard 306a and a mouse 306b for accepting input from the user as the operation unit 306, and a recording disk 92 (optical disk, magnetic disk, optical disk). An input device 307 for exchanging information with a magnetic disk, a card slot 308 for exchanging information with a memory card 91, and a reading device for wirelessly reading the identification information set in the color chart 1 400 are appropriately connected through an interface (I / F) or the like. Furthermore, a network interface (network I / F) 309 that accesses the medical database of the computer 300b via the network 9 is connected to the bus line, and the CPU 301 performs the medical treatment of the computer 300b via the network I / F 309. The database 310 can be accessed.

  The RAM 303, the hard disk 304, the input device 307, and the card slot 308 can exchange data with each other. Under the control of the CPU 301, the display 305 stores images stored in the RAM 303, the hard disk 304, the memory card 91, and the like. Data and various information can be displayed.

  The program 341 shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the hard disk 304 from the recording disk 92 via the reading device 307 or from the computer 300b via the network I / F 309, and is appropriately read from the hard disk 304 to the RAM 303. And executed by the CPU 301. A function of processing image data is realized by the CPU 301 operating according to the program 341, and thereby the computer 300a exhibits a main function as an image processing system for performing image diagnosis. Details of functions realized by the CPU 301 operating in accordance with the program 341 will be described later. When the computer 300a has a communication function via an electric communication line such as the Internet, the program 341 may be acquired through the electric communication line and stored in the hard disk 304.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the digital camera 200. The digital camera 200 includes a lens unit 110 that forms incident light and a main body 120 that processes image data. The lens unit 110 includes a lens system 111 having a plurality of lenses and a diaphragm 112. The light image of the subject formed by the lens system 111 is photoelectrically converted by the CCD 121 of the main body 120 into an image signal. The CCD 121 is a three-band imaging device that acquires values relating to R, G, and B colors as pixel values. The image signal output from the CCD 121 is subjected to processing to be described later and then stored in a memory card 91 that is an external memory that is detachably attached to the main body 120.

  The main body 120 is provided with a shutter button 123, a display 125, and an operation button 126 that function as a user interface. When the user captures the subject 81 and the color chart 1 through a finder or the like and operates the shutter button 123, image data containing the subject 81 and the color chart 1 in the photographing range is acquired. Further, when the user operates the operation button 126 according to the menu displayed on the display 125, setting of shooting conditions, maintenance of the memory card 91, and the like can be performed.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the lens system 111, the CCD 121, the A / D converter 122, the shutter button 123, and the CPU 210, the ROM 220, and the RAM 230 as a microcomputer realize a function of acquiring image data. That is, an image of a subject is formed on the CCD 121 by the lens system 111, and when the shutter button 123 is pressed, the image signal from the CCD 121 is digitally converted by the A / D converter 122. The digital image signal converted by the A / D converter 122 is stored in the RAM 230 as image data. The control of these processes is performed by the CPU 210 operating according to the program 221 stored in the ROM 220.

  Further, the CPU 210, the ROM 220, and the RAM 230 provided in the main body 120 realize a function of processing image data. Specifically, according to the program 221 stored in the ROM 220, the CPU 210 operates while using the RAM 230 as a work area, whereby image processing is performed on the image data.

  A card I / F (interface) 124 is connected to the RAM 230 and transfers various data between the RAM 230 and the memory card 91 based on an input operation from the operation button 126. The display 125 also displays various types of information to the user based on signals from the CPU 210.

  Next, a process in which the digital camera 200 generates object color component data will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing functions realized by the CPU 210, the ROM 220, and the RAM 230 of the digital camera 200 together with other configurations. In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the object color component data generation unit 201 is a function realized by the CPU 210, the ROM 220, the RAM 230, and the like. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of shooting and image processing of the digital camera 200. Hereinafter, the object color component data acquisition operation of the digital camera 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

  First, the color chart 1 (more precisely, the first sheet-like member 10) is pasted near the affected area of the subject 81, and the subject 81 and the color chart 1 are photographed within the photographing range. In the digital camera 200, an image signal is acquired by the CCD 121 via the lens unit 110 by the photographing operation. The image signal output from the CCD 121 is sent from the A / D converter 122 to the RAM 230 and stored as image data 231 (step ST1).

  When the image data 231 is stored in the RAM 230, next, the illumination component data 232 used when obtaining the object color component data is set (step ST2). The illumination component data 232 is data indicating the spectral distribution of illumination light, and more generally is data indicating the influence of illumination light on image data. The intensity of the spectral distribution indicated by the illumination component data 232 is normalized with the maximum spectral intensity being 1, and the illumination component data 232 indicates the relative spectral distribution of the illumination light.

  The ROM 230 of the digital camera 200 stores a plurality of pieces of illumination component data 232 corresponding to various illumination lights (light sources) in advance, and the user uses the operation button 126 according to the light source at the time of photographing to select one illumination from these. Component data 232 is selected. The digital camera 200 is provided with a multiband sensor, and the actual spectral distribution of the illumination light is obtained based on the output from the multiband sensor, and the illumination component data 232 used when obtaining the object color component data is obtained. It may be stored in the RAM 230. As the multiband sensor, a plurality of light intensity detectors each provided with a filter that transmits only light in each wavelength band can be used.

  Once the illumination component data 232 is set, the object color component data generation unit 201 then uses the image data 231 and the illumination component data 232 to remove the object environment component from the image data 231. Data 233 is obtained (step ST3). The object color component data 233 is data substantially corresponding to the spectral reflectance of the subject. There are various methods for obtaining the spectral reflectance of a subject, and one of them will be described below. However, it goes without saying that other methods may be used.

First, let E (λ) be the spectral distribution of illumination light that illuminates the subject with the wavelength of the visible region being λ, and the spectral reflectance at the position on the subject corresponding to a certain pixel (hereinafter referred to as “target pixel”) is S. (λ). The spectral reflectance S (λ) is a weighted sum of _three basis functions S ₁ (λ), S ₂ (λ), S ₃ (λ) and weighting coefficients σ ₁ , σ ₂ , σ ₃ .

It is expressed. Therefore, the spectral distribution I (λ) of the reflected light from the position on the subject corresponding to the target pixel (that is, the incident light to the target pixel) is

It is expressed. Further, a value (pixel value) relating to any one of R, G, and B of the target pixel (hereinafter referred to as “target color”) is ρ _c, and the total spectral sensitivity of the target color of the digital camera 200 (the lens system 111). ) Is R _c (λ), and ρ _c is

It is expressed. In Equation 3, the basis function S _j (λ) is a predetermined function, and the total spectral sensitivity R _c (λ) is a function that can be obtained in advance by measurement. These pieces of information are stored in advance in the ROM 220 and the RAM 230. The spectral distribution E (λ) of the illumination light is stored in the RAM 230 as illumination component data 232.

Therefore, in the equation shown in Equation 3, the unknowns are only three weighting coefficients σ ₁ , σ ₂ , and σ ₃ . The equation shown in Equation 3 can be obtained for each of the three colors R, G, and B in the target pixel, and three weighting coefficients σ ₁ , σ ₂ , and σ ₃ are obtained by solving these three equations. be able to.

If the three weighting coefficients σ ₁ , σ ₂ , σ ₃ and the basis function S _j (λ) obtained in this way are substituted into Equation 1, the spectral reflectance S at the position on the subject corresponding to the target pixel is obtained. (λ) can be expressed. Therefore, obtaining the weighting coefficients σ ₁ , σ ₂ , and σ ₃ of the target pixel corresponds to obtaining the spectral reflectance S (λ) at the position on the subject corresponding to the target pixel.

Based on the above method, the object color component data generation unit 201 of the digital camera 200 refers to the pixel value of the image data 231 and the illumination component data 232, and the spectral reflectance (that is, the position on the subject corresponding to each pixel (that is, The weighting coefficients (σ ₁ , σ ₂ , σ ₃ ) of each pixel are obtained. Then, the obtained weighting coefficients σ ₁ , σ ₂ , and σ _{3 for} all the pixels are stored in the RAM 230 as the object color component data 233 (step ST3). When the object color component data 233 is obtained, the object color component data 233 is transferred to the memory card 91 and stored (step ST4).

  In the object color component data 233, data corresponding to each pixel indicates the spectral reflectance of the subject, and is also referred to as a “spectral image”. More generally, the object color component data 233 is data corresponding to image data from which the influence of illumination light at the time of shooting is removed.

  The digital camera 200 executes a series of processes as described above for each shooting target (subject), and acquires object color component data 233 for a plurality of shooting targets. The obtained plurality of object color component data 233 is transferred to the computer 300 via the memory card 91 and stored in the computer 300 as a database.

  Next, a series of processes until the computer 300a inputs the object color component data 233 from the digital camera 200 and accumulates it in the database will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing functions realized when the object color component data is input by the CPU 301 of the computer 300a operating according to the program 341 together with other components. In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 9, the reading device control unit 371, the patient information acquisition unit 372, and the identification information recording processing unit 373 are realized by the CPU 301 operating according to the program 341.

  FIG. 10 is a flow chart of processing realized by the CPU 301 in accordance with the program 341. Specifically, the flow of processing for inputting the object color component data 233 and storing it as a database is shown. Hereinafter, the processing of the computer 300a will be described with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG.

  First, when the object color component data 233 is input via the memory card 91, the computer 300a temporarily stores the data in the RAM 303 (step ST11).

  Then, when the user gives an instruction via the operation unit 306, the patient who becomes the subject of the input object color component data 233 is specified. The patient information acquisition unit 372 receives designation of the patient by the user, and the patient information acquisition unit 372 accesses the computer 300b based on this designation, and the patient is extracted from the medical database 310 stored in the computer 300b. Get patient information. The patient information 236 acquired by the patient information acquisition unit 372 is temporarily stored in the RAM 303 (step ST12).

  Next, in a state where the color chart 1 attached to the patient is arranged in the vicinity of the reading device 400, the user instructs the reading of the identification information. This instruction is received by the reading device control unit 371, and the reading device control unit 371 controls the reading device 400. As a result, the reading device 400 wirelessly reads the identification information set on the microchip 14 of the color chart 1 (more precisely, the first sheet-like member 10) attached to the subject 81, and outputs it to the computer 300a. To do. When obtaining the identification information 235 of the color chart 1, the computer 300a temporarily stores it in the RAM 303 (step ST13).

  Next, the user instructs to record the patient information 236 and the object color component data 233 in association with the identification information 235 of the color chart 1 by giving an instruction via the operation unit 306. This instruction is accepted by the identification information recording processing unit 373.

  First, the identification information recording processing unit 373 reads the patient information 236 in the RAM 303, performs processing for associating the identification information 235 of the color chart 1 with the patient information 236, and then accesses the computer 300b to be stored in the computer 300b. The patient information in the medical database 310 is updated (step ST14). As a result, the patient information 236 includes the identification information 235 of the color chart 1.

  Next, the identification information recording processing unit 373 reads the object color component data 233 in the RAM 303 and writes the identification information 235 of the color chart 1 in the attached data such as header data for the object color component data 233 (step ST15). ). Thereby, the color chart 1 used at the time of photographing can be specified by referring to the attached data of the object color component data 233.

  Then, the identification information recording processing unit 373 additionally stores the object color component data 233 in which the identification information 235 is written in the attached data in the object color component database 351 of the hard disk 304 (step ST16). At this time, the identification information of the color chart 1 is preferably included in the file name of the object color component data 233. By including the identification information in the file name of the object color component data 233, the color chart 1 used at the time of photographing can be identified without referring to the attached data, so that the color chart 1 can be identified efficiently.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the identification information 235 of the color chart 1 is configured to be recorded in association with each of the object color component data 233 and the patient information 236. It is possible to easily identify whether the image was taken using the color chart 1, and it is possible to easily identify which color chart 1 the patient was photographed using. In particular, the correspondence between the object color component data 233 and the patient information 236 can be grasped by using the identification information 235 as a clue, so that the data structure is useful when searching from one to the other. Yes. In addition, the image processing system 100 according to the present embodiment is configured to be able to set the correspondences accurately and efficiently as compared with the case where these correspondences are manually set and input.

  Next, processing in which the computer 300a reproduces image data using the object color component data 233 and performs image diagnosis will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing functions realized by the CPU 301 of the computer 300a operating in accordance with the program 341 during image reproduction together with other configurations. Among the configurations shown in FIG. 11, a data selection receiving unit 311, a composite image generating unit 312, a reference receiving unit 313, an image adjusting unit 314, a composite image recording unit 315, a display data generating unit 316, and a diagnostic result recording processing unit 317 are included. This is realized by the CPU 301 operating according to the program 341.

  As shown in the figure, an object color component database 351 composed of a plurality of object color component data 233 obtained by the digital camera 200 and associated with the identification information 235 of the color chart 1 is constructed in the hard disk 304. Yes. Furthermore, an illumination component database 352 composed of a plurality of illumination component data 232 is constructed in the hard disk 304. The illumination component data 232 is data indicating the spectral distribution of illumination light as described above, and more generally is data indicating the influence of illumination light on image data.

  In the computer 300a, the user browses the subject indicated by the object color component data 233. However, since the object color component data 233 cannot be used for display on the display 305 as it is, the computer 300a combines the illumination component data 232 with the object color component data 233 and generates image data (hereinafter, “ Composite image data ") is displayed on the display 305. By this processing, the user can browse and compare the subject indicated by the object color component data 233. The illumination component database 352 includes a plurality of illumination component data 232 that are candidates for use in generating the composite image data. The illumination component data 232 includes, for example, data corresponding to various illumination lights (light sources) such as CIE standard D65, CIE standard D50, incandescent lamp, fluorescent lamp, and sunlight.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart of processing realized by the CPU 301 in accordance with the program 341. Specifically, the processing flow for reproducing the composite image data using the object color component data 233 and performing image diagnosis is shown. Hereinafter, the processing of the computer 300a will be described with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG.

  First, the user designates a patient to be diagnosed by giving an instruction via the operation unit 306. The designation of the patient by the user is accepted by the data selection accepting unit 311 (step ST21).

  The data selection receiving unit 311 accesses the computer 300b, acquires the patient information 236 of the patient specified by the user from the medical database 310, and extracts all the identification information 235 of the color chart 1 included therein. Then, a plurality of object color component data 233 associated with each identification information 235 is extracted from the object color component database 351. Here, the plurality of extracted object color component data 233 is read from the hard disk 304 to the RAM 303. Thereby, the several object color component data 233 which should be compared about the patient whom a user is going to diagnose is determined (step ST22).

  Next, one illumination component data 232 to be used for generating the composite image data is selected from the illumination component database 352 according to an instruction via the operation unit 306 of the user. For example, a list of names of the illumination component data 232 included in the illumination component database 352 is displayed on the display 305, and the user selects a desired illumination component data 232 name with the mouse pointer, and then “OK”. The selection operation is performed by clicking the command button labeled “. As a result, an instruction to select one illumination component data 232 is accepted by the data selection accepting unit 311 and the selected illumination component data 232 is read out to the RAM 303 (step ST23).

  Next, a reference value serving as a reference for adjusting the brightness of the composite image data is designated by an instruction through the user operation unit 306. For example, a slider control for designating a reference value is displayed on the display 305, and the user moves the slider control to a desired position by operating the mouse, or directly inputs a numerical value in a numerical value input field. By doing so, the reference value can be designated by a numerical value ranging from 0 to 1. Then, by clicking the command button labeled “OK”, the specified reference value is received by the reference receiving unit 313 (step ST24).

  Further, a reference size that serves as a reference for adjusting the size of the subject in the composite image data is designated by the number of pixels in accordance with an instruction from the user operation unit 306. For example, a slider control or the like for designating a reference size is displayed on the display 305, and the user moves the slider control to a desired position by operating the mouse, or a numerical value directly in the numerical value input field. The reference size can be designated by a numerical value in the range of 10 to 100. Then, by clicking the command button labeled “OK”, the specified reference size is received by the reference receiving unit 313 (step ST25).

  Next, one object color component data 233 among the plurality of object color component data 233 read out to the RAM 303 is determined as a processing target (hereinafter referred to as “target object color component data”) (step ST26). .

When the target object color component data is determined, next, the target object color component data and the illumination component data 232 are input to the composite image generation unit 312. The composite image generating unit 312 obtains the spectral reflectance S (λ) at each position on the subject by using data corresponding to each pixel of the object color component data of interest as the weighting coefficient σ _j of Equation 1. The basis function S _j (λ) is stored in the hard disk 304 in advance. Then, using the obtained spectral reflectance S (λ) at each position on the subject and the spectral distribution E (λ) of the illumination light indicated by the illumination component data 232 in Equation 2, a spectral distribution (hereinafter referred to as “spectral distribution”) is multiplied. , Referred to as “synthetic spectral distribution”) I (λ) is obtained. Thereby, synthesized image data 331 in which each pixel is expressed by a synthesized spectral distribution I (λ) is generated. The combined spectral distribution I (λ) corresponds to the spectral distribution of the reflected light from the subject when it is assumed that the subject indicated by the target object color component data is illuminated with the illumination light indicated by the illumination component data 232.

Each pixel of the composite image data 331 can be expressed as a tristimulus value (XYZ value) by substituting the composite spectral distribution I (λ) into Equation 4. In Equation 4, R _X (λ), R _Y (λ), and R _Z (λ) are color matching functions of the XYZ color system.

  In addition, each pixel of the composite image data 331 can be expressed as an RGB value by converting tristimulus values (XYZ values) into RGB values by a known matrix calculation. Therefore, the composite image data 331 is data that can be easily provided for display on the display 305 (step ST27).

  The composite image data 331 generated in this way may be displayed. However, in the present embodiment, brightness adjustment is performed because a plurality of composite image data is reproduced and displayed under the same conditions. The adjustment of the size of the subject is performed on the composite image data 331. When performing these adjustments, each pixel of the composite image data 331 is represented by a composite spectral distribution I (λ).

  When adjusting the composite image data 331, first, the image adjustment unit 314 specifies an image related to the color chart 1 in the composite image data 331. More specifically, an image related to the reference color patch 12 included in the reference area 11 of the color chart 1 is specified. The specification here may be specification by manual operation, or specification by automatic recognition using pattern matching or the like (step ST28).

  Next, the image adjustment unit 314 adjusts the brightness of the composite image data 331 so that the brightness of the specified reference color patch 12 matches the reference value received by the reference receiving unit 313. Specifically, the adjustment coefficient is derived by dividing the reference value by the brightness of the reference color patch, and the derived adjustment coefficient is multiplied by the combined spectral distribution I (λ) of each pixel of the combined image data 331. As the brightness of the reference region, an average value of spectral intensities at a specific wavelength (for example, 560 nm) obtained from the combined spectral distribution I (λ) of each pixel included in the reference region is used. As a result, the brightness of all the subjects in the composite image data 331 is adjusted. The brightness of the reference area in the adjusted composite image data 331 matches the reference value (step ST29).

  Subsequently, the image adjustment unit 314 adjusts the size of the subject in the composite image data 331 so that the size of the reference region 11 of the color chart 1 matches the reference size received by the reference receiving unit 313. Specifically, the reference size and the size of the reference area 11 are compared to derive an enlargement or reduction ratio for matching the size of the reference area 11 with the reference size. As the size of the reference region 11, the number of pixels on one side of the reference region 11 is used. Then, the composite image data 331 is enlarged or reduced based on the derived enlargement or reduction magnification. Thereby, the sizes of all the subjects in the composite image data 331 are adjusted. The size of the reference area 11 in the adjusted composite image data 331 matches the reference size (step ST30). Note that the image size of the reference color patch 12 may be adjusted instead of adjusting the image size of the reference region 11.

  When the brightness adjustment and the subject size adjustment are performed, the display data generation unit 316 calculates the combined spectral distribution I (λ) of each pixel of the combined image data 331 from the XYZ value by the calculation according to Equation 4. And further converted into RGB values. Then, the adjusted composite image data 331 is displayed on the display 305. Thereby, the user can browse the generated composite image data 331. Note that an ICC profile indicating characteristics unique to the display 305 may be used for conversion from XYZ values to RGB values. By using the ICC profile for the conversion, it is possible to exclude the characteristic unique to the display 305 from the image displayed on the display 305 (step ST31).

  When the composite image data 331 generated from one target object color component data is displayed in this way, the next target object color component data is determined (steps ST32 and ST26). Then, the same processing (steps ST26 to ST31) as described above is performed for the target object color component data. By repeating such processing, finally, composite image data 331 is generated from all the object color component data 233 to be compared. The plurality of generated composite image data 331 is displayed on the display 305, and a plurality of images reproduced under the same conditions can be compared. By comparing a plurality of images, the progress of the affected area can be grasped well, and an accurate image diagnosis can be performed.

  In the above processing, the illumination component data 232 used for generating the composite image data 331 is the same among the plurality of object color component data 233 to be compared. Therefore, even if the spectral distributions of the illumination light at the time of obtaining the plurality of object color component data 233 are different, the generated composite image data 331 is illuminated by the illumination light having the same spectral distribution. It shows the subject. That is, it is possible to reproduce a subject under illumination light having the same spectral distribution, and the same subject is reproduced with the same color. Thereby, the user can compare subjects under illumination light having the same spectral distribution, and can accurately compare subjects. In addition, since an instruction to select one illumination component data 232 used for generating the composite image data 331 is received from the user, it is possible to reproduce a subject under illumination light having a desired spectral distribution for the user.

  Since the object color component data 233 indicates the relative spectral reflectance, when the illumination component data 232 is simply combined with the object color component data 233, the brightness of the generated combined image data 331 is the object color component data 233. It is influenced by the intensity of illumination light at the time of acquisition. Therefore, in this case, there is a possibility that the same subject may not be reproduced with the same brightness when reproducing a plurality of composite image data 331. In the present embodiment, the brightness of the composite image data 331 is adjusted so that the brightness of the reference area matches the reference value, and the brightness of the reference area is matched among the plurality of composite image data 331. Therefore, the plurality of composite image data 331 indicates a subject illuminated with illumination light having the same intensity. That is, it is possible to reproduce a subject under illumination light with the same intensity, and the same subject is reproduced with the same brightness. Thereby, the user can compare subjects under illumination light of the same intensity, and can compare subjects more accurately. In addition, since the specification of a reference value serving as a reference for matching the brightness of the reference region is received from the user, it is possible to reproduce a subject under illumination light having a desired intensity for the user.

  When the illumination component data 232 is simply combined with the object color component data 233, the size of the subject in the generated composite image data 331 is affected by the shooting distance when the object color component data 233 is acquired. Therefore, in this case, there is a possibility that the same subject is not reproduced with the same size when reproducing the plurality of composite image data 331. In the present embodiment, the size of the subject in the composite image data 331 is adjusted (enlarged or reduced) so that the size of the reference area matches the reference size, and the sizes of the reference areas match among the plurality of composite image data 331. Is done. Therefore, the plurality of composite image data 331 indicates a subject having the same scale as the actual subject. That is, the subject can be reproduced with the same scale, and the same subject is reproduced with the same size. Thereby, the user can compare subjects of the same scale, and can compare subjects more accurately. In addition, since the specification of the reference size serving as a reference for matching the sizes of the reference regions is received from the user, the subject can be reproduced at a scale desired by the user.

  The plurality of composite image data 331 generated as described above is recorded on the hard disk 304 by the composite image recording unit 315 and stored as the composite image database 353 (step ST33). By accumulating a plurality of composite image data 331 generated in this manner as a database, it is not necessary to generate composite image data 331 when the subject indicated by the object color component data 233 is reproduced again, and the user can quickly The target subject can be browsed. Note that the user may be able to specify whether or not to record a plurality of generated composite image data 331.

  Then, the user inputs the diagnostic result of the image diagnosis via the operation unit 306. This input information is received by the diagnosis result recording processing unit 317. Then, the diagnosis result recording processing unit 317 accesses the computer 300b and records the diagnosis result of the image diagnosis in the medical database 310 in association with the patient information of the patient (step S34). As a result, the patient information, the object color component data, and the diagnosis result are all associated with the medical database 310.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the microchip 14 storing unique identification information is embedded in the sheet-like color chart 1 used for calibrating the color of the color image. Information is wirelessly readable from the outside. Therefore, if the identification information of the color chart 1 is read, the identification information can be used as image management information, and it is possible to easily identify which color chart was used to capture each image. It becomes like this. As a result, image management can be performed easily and accurately.

  Further, the color chart 1 has a structure in which the first sheet-like member 10, the second sheet-like member 20, and the mount 30 are bonded together in this order via an adhesive material, and the first sheet-like member The member 10 is bonded to the second sheet-like member 20 with an adhesive material having a relatively weak adhesive force, and the second sheet-like member 20 is attached to the mount 30 with an adhesive material having a relatively strong adhesive force. On the other hand, it has a structure of being bonded in a peelable state. With such a structure, for example, the first sheet-like member 10 is suitable for attaching to a subject, and the second sheet-like member 20 is suitable for attaching to a medical chart.

  In addition, the identification information is printed on a part of the surface of the first sheet-like member 10 in the color chart 1 so that the user can confirm the identification information visually.

  Further, the image processing system 100 according to the present embodiment is configured to input an image obtained by simultaneously capturing the color chart 1 and the subject 81 and generate image data in which the influence of illumination light is removed from the image. The identification information stored in the color chart 1 is read from the vote 1, and the identification information is recorded in association with an image obtained by photographing. For this reason, the image processing system according to the present embodiment can use the identification information stored in the color chart 1 as image management information to easily identify which color chart was used to capture each image. It is configured.

  Further, one of the associations between the image and the identification information is performed by writing the identification information to the attached data of the image file related to the image. Therefore, by referring to the attached data of the image file, it is possible to easily identify which color chart 1 is used to capture the image.

  Further, another association between the image and the identification information is performed by including the identification information in the file name of the image file relating to the image. Therefore, in this case, it is not necessary to refer to the data attached to the image file, and the color chart 1 can be used to easily identify the image taken using the file name.

  In addition, the image processing system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a medical database 310 that manages patient information, and further includes patient information 236 of the patient to be imaged and identification information 235 of the color chart 1. It is configured to record in association with the medical database 310. Therefore, the identification information 235 can associate the image (object color component data 233) with the patient information 236, and the image and the patient information 236 can be managed accurately.

  In addition, the image processing system 100 is configured to record the diagnosis results based on the images in the medical database in association with each other. Therefore, the image, patient information 236, and diagnosis result are associated with each other, and accurate management of comprehensive medical information is possible.

  As described above, the image processing system 100 according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the possibility of human error is significantly reduced, and medical errors can be prevented in advance.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the object color component data 233 is generated in the digital camera 200 is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the generation processing of the object color component data is performed in the computer 300a. It may be. In this case, image data relating to a color image obtained by photographing is input to the computer 300a, and object color component data is generated by performing the above-described arithmetic processing in the computer 300a. In addition, the photographed image input to the computer 300a at this time is preferably stored in the hard disk 304 of the computer 300a. In this case, it is more preferable that the photographed image is further associated with the identification information of the color chart 1. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the processing performed by the computer 300a may be performed inside the digital camera 200.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the image processing system 100 is used as a medical image diagnostic system is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of images are compared under the same conditions. Any system that requires a system is applicable.

It is the perspective view which looked at the color chart from the diagonally forward side. It is a perspective view which shows the state which isolate | separated each sheet | seat member of the color chart. It is sectional drawing of the 1st sheet-like member which comprises a color chart. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image processing system. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of a computer. It is a figure which shows the main structures of a digital camera. It is a figure which shows the function of a digital camera with a block. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of a digital camera. It is a block diagram which shows the function implement | achieved by computer at the time of object color component data input. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process which a computer inputs object color component data and preserve | saves to a database. It is a block diagram which shows the function implement | achieved by computer at the time of image reproduction. It is a flowchart at the time of performing image reproduction in a computer.

Explanation of symbols

1 color chart 10 first sheet-like member 11 reference area 12 reference color patch 13 identification information display column 14 microchip 20 second sheet-like member 30 mount 100 image processing system 200 digital camera 300a, 300b computer 232 illumination component data 233 Object color component data 235 Identification information 236 Patient information 331 Composite image data 310 Medical database 400 Reader

Claims (8)

A sheet-like color chart used for calibrating the color of a color image,
A reference region coated with at least one color material is formed on the surface side of the sheet-like member, and a microchip for storing unique identification information is embedded in the sheet-like member, Color chart configured to allow wireless reading of identification information from outside. In the color chart according to claim 1,
The first sheet-like member, the second sheet-like member, and the mount have a structure in which the first sheet-like member and the mount are bonded together in this order via an adhesive material, and the first sheet-like member is an adhesive material having a relatively weak adhesive force. The second sheet-like member is bonded in a peelable state, and the second sheet-like member is bonded in a peelable state to the mount with a relatively strong adhesive material. Color chart to be characterized. In the color chart according to claim 1 or 2,
The color chart, wherein the identification information is printed on a part of the surface of the sheet-like member. An image processing system for inputting an image obtained by simultaneously photographing a color chart and a subject, and generating image data obtained by removing the influence of illumination light from the image,
Reading means for reading identification information stored in the color chart from the color chart;
Recording means for recording the identification information in association with the image;
An image processing system comprising: The image processing system according to claim 4,
The image processing system, wherein the recording means writes the identification information to the attached data of the image file relating to the image. The image processing system according to claim 4,
The image processing system, wherein the recording unit records the identification information in a file name of an image file related to the image. The image processing system according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
A medical database for managing patient information;
The image processing system, wherein the recording unit records the patient information of the patient whose image is to be captured and the identification information in association with each other in the medical database. The image processing system according to claim 7,
The image processing system characterized in that the recording means records the diagnosis result based on the image on the medical database in further relation.

Images