JP2010097509A - System for controlling access to information about living body, microscope, and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means for easily and reliably preventing an accident that a sample and chart information about an alien living body are falsely recognized as a sample and chart information about the same living body when using an electric chart system in observing a sample by a microscope. <P>SOLUTION: When a prepared specimen is set on a stage of the microscope 11, the microscope reads a two-dimensional barcode on the prepared specimen and transmits it to a terminal device 12. The terminal device 12 transmits identification information obtained by converting the two-dimensional barcode received from the microscope 11 to a server device 13. The server device 13 searches a database for chart information about a living body corresponding to the identification information received from the terminal device 12 and transmits it to the terminal device 12. The terminal device 12 displays the chart information received from the server device 13. When the prepared specimen is removed from the stage, the terminal device 12 stops displaying the chart information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a system, a microscope, and a method for controlling access to information related to a living body.

  It has been practiced for a long time that medical personnel observe a sample collected from a living body with a microscope and describe the obtained findings in a medical record. In recent years, an electronic medical record system that electronically records information that has been recorded on a paper medium has been put into practical use.

  In the electronic medical chart system, in order to additionally describe the findings obtained by observing the sample in the medical chart, it is necessary to read out the medical chart information relating to the living body from which the sample is collected from the medical record information database. In order to simplify the operation for reading medical chart information, a method of printing or pasting a barcode indicating the identification information of the living body from which the sample was collected on the slide glass on which the sample was placed was put into practical use. Has been.

  In the case of the method using the barcode described above, the medical staff reads the barcode on the slide glass with a barcode reader connected to the terminal device used by him before placing the slide glass on the microscope stage. Make it. The barcode read by the barcode reader is converted into identification information by the terminal device and transmitted to a server device that manages a database of medical record information.

  The server device reads the chart information corresponding to the identification information transmitted from the terminal device from the database, and transmits the read information to the terminal device. As a result, the medical chart information of the living body from which the medical worker is going to observe the sample is displayed on the display unit of the terminal device. In addition, when a medical worker performs a predetermined operation on the terminal device, the medical worker can add information indicating findings obtained as a result of observation to the medical chart information being displayed.

As a technique related to the method using the above barcode, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system for taking an image of a sample included in a slide glass on which a two-dimensional barcode indicating biological identification information is printed. Yes. Also, for example, in Patent Document 2, the patient's medical chart information can be extracted based on the identification information indicated by the barcode printed on the ID card carried by the patient, and the extracted medical chart information can be viewed by medical personnel A system is disclosed.
JP 2007-178251 A JP 2002-041656 A

  In a medical institution, it is not uncommon for samples collected from different living bodies to be sequentially observed by a medical worker with a microscope. In that case, an accident (misunderstanding accident) may occur in which a sample and chart information relating to different living bodies are misidentified as being a sample and chart information relating to the same living body.

According to the above-described method for specifying medical record information by a barcode printed on a slide glass, for example, compared to a method for specifying medical record information by inputting a name or the like, it is possible to reduce the frequency of misuse accidents. . However, even by a method using a bar code, for example, the following situation can be mistaken for an accident.
(1) Barcode reading is inadvertently skipped.
(2) The slide glass from which the barcode is read is placed in a place other than the microscope stage, and after performing some other operation, another slide glass is erroneously placed on the microscope stage.

  In view of the above situation, the present invention makes it easy and reliable to accidentally misidentify samples and chart information relating to different living bodies as samples and chart information relating to the same living body when using an electronic medical chart system in observing the specimen with a microscope. It aims at providing the means to prevent.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a reading step for reading an image indicating identification information provided on a preparation including a sample to be observed by a microscope, and identification information for identifying the living body with respect to each of a plurality of living bodies. A search step for searching for information stored in association with the identification information indicated by the image read in the reading step, from the storage means storing the information relating to the living body and the information related to the living body, and the searching step Enabling access to information retrieved in step, detecting step for detecting that the sample becomes unobservable by the microscope due to movement of the preparation, and observing the sample in the detecting step When it is detected that the information has been found, the search for the information searched in the search step is performed. A method comprising the steps of: impossible to process. The present invention also provides a system and a microscope for performing the above method.

  According to the above method, system, or microscope, access to other than the medical chart information related to the living body from which the sample that is currently observable is collected is blocked. Accidents that are misidentified as medical record information are reliably prevented.

[1. Embodiment]
[1.1. Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an electronic medical record system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic medical record system 1 includes a microscope 11 for observing a sample collected from a living body, a terminal device 12 connected to the microscope 11, and a server device capable of data communication with the terminal device 12 via a communication network. 13.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a part related to the present invention among the constituent parts of the microscope 11. In the electronic medical chart system 1, the sample observed by the microscope 11 is a sample collected from any living body, and is provided to the user in a form included in the preparation 14. The preparation 14 includes a sample 141, a slide glass 142 on which the sample 141 is placed, a cover glass 143 that covers the sample 141 from above and encloses the sample 141 together with the slide glass 142, and an area on which the sample 141 is placed on the slide glass 142. A two-dimensional barcode label 144 affixed to different areas is provided. A two-dimensional barcode indicating the identification information of the living body from which the sample 141 is collected is printed on the two-dimensional barcode label 144.

  The microscope 11 includes a stage 111 on which the preparation 14 is set, a sample photographing unit 112 that photographs the sample 141 on the preparation 14 set on the stage 111, and a two-dimensional barcode label 144 on the preparation 14 that is set on the stage 111. And a barcode photographing unit 113 for photographing a two-dimensional barcode printed on.

  The sample photographing unit 112 is, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera, continuously photographs the sample 141, and sequentially generates sample image information indicating an image of the sample 141. The barcode photographing unit 113 is, for example, a CCD camera, continuously photographs two-dimensional barcodes, and sequentially generates barcode image information indicating a two-dimensional barcode image.

  The microscope 11 further includes a transmission unit 114 (not shown) that sequentially transmits the sample image information and the barcode image information generated by the sample imaging unit 112 and the barcode imaging unit 113 to the terminal device 12.

  The terminal device 12 includes a display unit 121 that displays an image of the sample 141 and medical chart information, and a keyboard 122 that is used by the user to operate the terminal device 12. The display unit 121 of the terminal device 12 is divided into a sample image area that is an area for displaying an image of the sample and a medical chart information area that is an area for displaying medical chart information.

  In addition, the terminal device 12 receives a sample image information and barcode image information transmitted from the microscope 11 and a communication unit 124 (not shown) that performs data communication between the server device 13 and a receiving unit 123 (not shown). ). Further, the terminal device 12 includes a storage unit 125 (not shown) that stores a code table indicating a correspondence relationship between the two-dimensional barcode and the identification information.

  The terminal device 12 includes an access control unit 126 (not shown) that controls the display of medical chart information and whether or not editing by the user is possible based on the barcode image information sequentially transmitted from the microscope 11 as the functional configuration. The function of the access control unit 126 will be described later in the description of the operation.

  The server device 13 includes a storage unit 131 that stores a database (hereinafter referred to as “medical record database”) including medical record information regarding each of a plurality of living organisms as record data. Individual medical record information included in the medical record database is associated with identification information for identifying a living body, basic information such as the name and date of birth of the living body, and information such as a doctor's findings, medication history, past medical history, etc. Is remembered.

  The server device 13 further includes a communication unit 132 (not shown) that performs data communication with the terminal device 12. In addition, the server apparatus 13 is provided with the search part 133 (illustration omitted) which searches the chart information regarding a specific biological body from the chart database by using the identification information transmitted from the terminal device 12 as a search key as the function structure. The medical chart information retrieved by the retrieval unit 133 is transmitted to the terminal device 12 by the communication unit 132.

[1.2. Operation]
While the microscope 11 is powered on, the microscope 11 continues to transmit the sample image information generated by the sample photographing unit 112 to the terminal device 12 sequentially. The terminal device 12 displays an image in the sample image area according to the sample image information transmitted from the microscope 11. As a result, while the preparation 14 is set at the correct position on the stage 111, an image of the sample 141 is displayed in the sample image area, and when the preparation 14 is removed from the stage 111, the sample image area is meaningful. The image is not displayed.

  The terminal device 12 performs image display on the sample image area as described above, and at the same time performs access control to the medical record information according to the barcode image information transmitted from the terminal device 12. 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing an outline of the operation of the electronic medical chart system 1 related to access control to medical chart information.

  While the microscope 11 is turned on, in parallel with the transmission of the sample image information, the microscope 11 continues to sequentially transmit the barcode image information generated by the barcode imaging unit 113 to the terminal device 12 (step S100). When the terminal device 12 receives the barcode image information from the microscope 11, the terminal device 12 recognizes the two-dimensional barcode indicated by the received barcode image information. Here, the two-dimensional barcode recognition process is a process of converting the two-dimensional barcode into a biometric identification number in accordance with the code table stored in the storage unit 125.

  While the preparation 14 is set at the correct position on the stage 111, the barcode image information generated by the barcode photographing unit 113 indicates the two-dimensional barcode printed on the two-dimensional barcode label 144. In that case, the terminal device 12 normally succeeds in the recognition process of the two-dimensional barcode. On the other hand, when the preparation 14 is removed from the stage 111, the barcode image information generated by the barcode photographing unit 113 does not show a meaningful image. In that case, the terminal device 12 fails in the recognition process of the two-dimensional barcode.

  Until the preparation 14 is set at the correct position on the stage 111 by the user, the two-dimensional barcode recognition process continues to fail (step S101; No). In the meantime, the terminal device 12 does not perform any special processing other than repeating the two-dimensional barcode recognition processing.

  When the preparation 14 is set at the correct position on the stage 111 by the user, the two-dimensional barcode recognition process turns from failure to success (step S101; Yes). In this case, the terminal device 12 transmits the identification number obtained by the two-dimensional barcode recognition process to the server device 13 (step S102).

  When the server device 13 receives the identification information from the terminal device 12, the server device 13 searches the medical record database using the received identification number as a search key (step S103). The server device 13 transmits the chart information searched in step S103 to the terminal device 12 (step S104).

  When receiving the chart information from the server apparatus 13, the terminal apparatus 12 displays the received chart information in the chart information area (step S105). The user observes the image of the sample 141 displayed in the sample image area while referring to the chart information displayed in the chart information area, and inputs the finding information indicating his / her findings to the terminal device 12 (step). S106). When the user finishes inputting the finding information, the user gives a transmission instruction to the terminal device 12. In response to the transmission instruction, the terminal device 12 transmits the finding information to the server device 13 (step S107).

  Upon receiving the finding information from the terminal device 12, the server device 13 updates the chart information by adding the received finding information to the chart information searched in step S103 (step S108).

  The user usually removes the preparation 14 from the stage 111 after instructing the transmission of the observation information. However, depending on the situation, the user may remove the preparation 14 from the stage 111 before the above-described series of processing from step S101 to step S108 is completed. Even if the preparation 14 is removed from the stage 111 at any timing, the terminal device 12 stops displaying the chart information displayed in the chart information area. FIG. 4 shows an outline of the operation of the electronic medical chart system 1 when the preparation 14 is removed from the stage 111.

  Even after the preparation 14 is set at the correct position of the stage 111 by the user, that is, after the determination in step S101 of FIG. 3 is Yes, the microscope 11 displays the barcode image information in parallel with the transmission of the sample image information. Sequentially, transmission is continued to the terminal device 12 (step S100).

  Until the preparation 14 is removed from the stage 111 by the user, the two-dimensional barcode recognition process continues to be successful (step S201; No). In the meantime, the terminal device 12 does not perform any special processing other than repeating the two-dimensional barcode recognition processing.

  When the preparation 14 is removed from the stage 111 by the user, the two-dimensional barcode recognition process turns from success to failure (step S201; Yes). In that case, the terminal device 12 stops displaying the chart information in the chart information area (step S202). That is, the user can no longer see the chart information displayed so far. Therefore, after the user removes the preparation 14 from the stage 111, the user cannot add the finding information to the medical record information regarding the living body from which the sample 141 included in the preparation 14 is collected.

  As described above, according to the electronic medical chart system 1, when the preparation 14 is removed from the stage 111, it is impossible for the user to view and change the medical chart information regarding the living body from which the sample 141 included in the preparation 14 is collected. Become. As a result, it is possible to easily and reliably prevent an accident that misidentifies a sample and chart information regarding different living bodies as a sample and chart information regarding the same living body.

[2. Modified example]
The above-described embodiments can be variously modified within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. A modification is shown below.

[2.1. First Modification]
In the first modification, the barcode photographing unit 113 of the microscope 11 does not always generate barcode image information. Therefore, the terminal device 12 does not always perform the recognition process of the two-dimensional barcode indicated by the barcode image information. Specifically, the microscope 11 and the terminal device 12 perform the following operations.

  While the preparation 14 is not set on the stage 111, the barcode photographing unit 113 operates only a part of the CCD elements provided in the plurality of CCD elements, and stops the other CCD elements for power saving. Hereinafter, a state in which only a part of the CCD elements of the barcode photographing unit 113 is operating is referred to as “standby mode” of the microscope 11. On the other hand, the state in which all the CCD elements of the barcode photographing unit 113 are operating is referred to as “operation mode” of the microscope 11. In the standby mode, the microscope 11 does not transmit barcode image information to the terminal device 12.

  The microscope 11 in the first modified example sets the preparation 14 on the stage 111 by determining whether or not the image taken by the CCD element operating in the standby mode indicates an image of the surface of the stage 111. And a detection unit that detects that the preparation 14 has been removed from the stage 111. In addition, the microscope 11 in the first modification includes a receiving unit that receives information transmitted from the terminal device 12.

  Now, it is assumed that the preparation 14 is not set on the stage 111 and the microscope 11 is in the standby mode. In this state, when the preparation 14 is set on the stage 111, the microscope 11 detects the setting of the preparation 14 by the detection unit. The microscope 11 that has detected the set of the preparations 14 shifts to the operation mode. The microscope 11 that has shifted to the operation mode sequentially transmits the barcode image information generated using all the CCD elements of the barcode photographing unit 113 to the terminal device 12 as in the above-described embodiment.

  The terminal device 12 performs a recognition process of the two-dimensional barcode indicated by the barcode image information sequentially transmitted from the microscope 11, and when the recognition process is successful and acquires the identification information of the living body, the terminal device 12 enters the standby mode. Send migration instructions for. When receiving the shift instruction from the terminal device 12, the microscope 11 shifts to the standby mode according to the received shift instruction.

  The terminal device 12 transmits an instruction to shift to the standby mode to the microscope 11 and transmits identification information to the server device 13. Thereafter, the terminal device 12 and the server device 13 perform a series of operations from step S103 to step S108 described above.

  After the microscope 11 shifts to the standby mode in accordance with the transfer instruction transmitted from the terminal device 12, when the preparation 14 is removed from the stage 111, the microscope 11 detects the removal of the preparation 14 by the detection unit. The microscope 11 that has detected the removal of the preparation 14 transmits an instruction to release access to the chart information to the terminal device 12. Note that the microscope 11 maintains the standby mode even after detecting the removal of the preparation 14.

  When receiving the access release instruction from the microscope 11, the terminal device 12 stops displaying the chart information that has been displayed in the chart information area until then according to the received access release instruction. As a result, the user cannot access the chart information.

  As described above, in the present invention, the identification information acquisition by the barcode recognition process may be performed at least once after the preparation set is detected and before the preparation is removed. Accordingly, the barcode reading process necessary for obtaining the identification information may be performed only after the preparation of the preparation is detected and until the identification information is successfully obtained by the barcode recognition process.

  In the embodiment and the first modification described above, the detection of the preparation set and the removal of the preparation are detected based on the image information generated by the barcode photographing unit 113. The preparation removal may be detected by an independent detection unit.

  For example, a switch that is turned on when the weight of the preparation 14 is applied to a part of the area on the stage 111 where the preparation 14 is set, and is turned off when the preparation 14 is not loaded is provided. Detection may be performed based on a change from OFF to ON of the switch, and preparation removal may be detected based on a change from ON to OFF of the switch.

[2.2. Second Modification]
The microscope 11 in the second modification includes only one imaging unit that serves as both the sample imaging unit 112 and the barcode imaging unit 113. Accordingly, while the preparation 14 is set on the stage 111, image information indicating both the sample 141 and the two-dimensional barcode as one image is transmitted from the microscope 11 to the terminal device 12.

  The terminal device 12 in the second modified example cuts out only the image portion of the sample 141 from the image indicated by the image information transmitted from the microscope 11 and displays it in the sample image area. Further, the terminal device 12 in the second modified example cuts out only the image portion of the two-dimensional barcode from the image indicated by the image information transmitted from the microscope 11 and uses it for the recognition process.

  As a method in which the terminal device 12 cuts out the image portion indicating the sample and the image portion indicating the two-dimensional barcode from the image including both the sample and the two-dimensional barcode, for example, a predetermined region of the image indicated by the image information is used. A method of treating the part as an image part showing a sample and an image part showing a two-dimensional barcode respectively may be adopted. For example, by an image recognition technique, an image part showing a sample and an image part showing a two-dimensional barcode A method of recognizing each of them may be adopted.

[2.3. Third Modification]
The microscope 11 in the third modification has a structure of an analog optical microscope that allows the user to directly observe the sample 141 instead of the sample photographing unit 112 that generates a digital image of the sample 141. Accordingly, the sample image information is not transmitted from the microscope 11 to the terminal device 12, and the image of the sample 141 is not displayed on the display unit 121 of the terminal device 12.

  In the third modification, the user observes the sample 141 by looking into the optical tube of the microscope 11 from the eyepiece side. Also in the third modified example, the living body from which the sample is observed by the user and the living body of the chart information displayed on the terminal device 12 are not shifted.

[2.4. Other variations]
The types of microscopes described above are examples, and for example, a fluorescence microscope or an electron microscope may be employed in the present invention.

  The above-described preparation is an example, and for example, a preparation that does not use a cover glass in the present invention may be employed.

  The above-described two-dimensional barcode is an example of an image showing identification information of a living body. For example, in the present invention, an image showing identification information by a one-dimensional barcode may be adopted, and identification information is shown by characters or symbols. An image may be employed.

  The above-described configuration of the system including the microscope, the terminal device, and the server device is an example. For example, in the present invention, instead of the terminal device and the server device, one device having both functions constitutes an electronic medical record system. You may make it do. Moreover, you may arrange | position a part of structure part (a function structure part is included) with which each of a microscope, a terminal device, and a server apparatus is provided in another apparatus. For example, the configuration may be such that the recognition process of the two-dimensional barcode is performed in a microscope instead of the terminal device. In this case, the microscope transmits identification information obtained by the recognition process to the terminal device instead of the barcode image information.

  Further, for example, the display of the sample and medical chart information may be performed on an external display device connected to the terminal device. Further, the functions of the server devices may be realized by a server device group that performs cooperation processing with each other. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which connects the barcode imaging | photography apparatus which can be attached to the position which can image | photograph a barcode with the preparation set to a microscope or a terminal device instead of incorporating a barcode imaging | photography part in a microscope.

  The terminal device described above may be configured to implement the functions provided by the hardware by hardware, or may be configured to implement those functions by causing a general-purpose computer to perform processing according to a program. The present invention also provides a program for causing a general-purpose computer to function as the terminal device described above, and a recording medium on which the program is recorded so as to be readable by the computer.

[3. Supplementary explanation]
In the present application, “access” to information indicates browsing or changing of information (including addition to existing information and deletion of existing information) by the user. Therefore, the state where access to information is possible is (1) a state where information can be viewed by a user but cannot be changed, or (2) a state where information can be both viewed and changed by the user. Either. In addition, the state where access to information is impossible means (1) a state where neither information can be changed nor viewed by the user, or (2) a state where information can be viewed but cannot be changed by the user. , Either.
Further, in the present application, when image information is generated and transmitted continuously, these processes may be performed continuously or intermittently. For example, although digital image information generated by a CCD camera is not strictly generated and transmitted continuously, if it is generated and transmitted at a very short time interval, it is recognized as continuous by the user. . In addition, even if the image information is generated and transmitted at a time interval sufficiently shorter than the time required for the user to set or remove the preparation, even if it is recognized as intermittent for the user, There is no inconvenience.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an electronic medical record system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed typically the structure of the microscope concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement outline | summary of the electronic medical chart system concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement outline | summary of the electronic medical chart system concerning one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic medical record system, 11 ... Microscope, 12 ... Terminal device, 13 ... Server apparatus, 14 ... Preparation, 111 ... Stage, 112 ... Sample imaging | photography part, 113 ... Barcode imaging | photography part, 121 ... Display part, 122 ... Keyboard, 141 ... sample, 142 ... slide glass, 143 ... cover glass, 144 ... two-dimensional barcode label.

Claims (5)

A reading step of reading an image indicating identification information provided on a preparation including a sample to be observed by a microscope;
Stored in association with identification information indicated by the image read in the reading step from storage means that stores identification information for identifying the living body and information regarding the living body in association with each other for each of a plurality of living bodies. A search step for searching for information,
Enabling access to the information searched in the searching step;
A detection step for detecting that the sample cannot be observed by the microscope due to movement of the preparation;
And a step of disabling access to the information searched in the search step when it is detected in the detection step that the sample cannot be observed. Storage means for storing identification information for identifying the living body and information on the living body in association with each other for each of the plurality of living bodies;
A reading means capable of reading an image indicating identification information provided on the preparation when the preparation is arranged at a position where the sample included in the preparation is observable with a microscope;
The sample contained in the preparation is stored in the storage means in association with the identification information indicated by the image read by the reading means only while the preparation is placed at a position where it can be observed by the microscope. An access control means that enables access to information. Reading means capable of reading an image indicating identification information provided in the preparation when the preparation is arranged at a position where the sample included in the preparation is observable;
Transmission means for transmitting image information indicating an image read by the reading means or identification information indicated by the image to an external device,
The transmission means transmits a predetermined signal to the external device at a timing when the specimen included in the preparation becomes unobservable due to the movement of the preparation. Reading means capable of reading an image indicating identification information provided in the preparation when the preparation is arranged at a position where the sample included in the preparation is observable;
Transmission means for transmitting image information indicating an image read by the reading means or identification information indicated by the image to an external device,
The transmission means continuously transmits a predetermined signal to the external device only while the preparation is disposed at a position where the sample included in the preparation is observable. The reading means optically reads an image indicating identification information provided on a preparation and a sample included in the preparation simultaneously, and generates image information indicating the read image.
5. The microscope according to claim 3, wherein the transmission unit transmits only a portion indicating an image of identification information among the image information generated by the reading unit to the external device.

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