JP2015130975A - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and ultrasonic diagnostic program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently select a body mark and annotation in accordance with an inspection flow.SOLUTION: Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment transmits/receives ultrasonic waves to/from a subject by a probe to create an image. The ultrasonic diagnostic device has: a presentation section which presents a candidate of incidental information to be imparted to the image; a storage section which stores use history of the incidental information used by an operator; an analysis section which totalizes use frequency of the incidental information on the basis of the use history; and a candidate selection section which selects the candidate of the incidental information presented to the presentation section on the basis of the totalization result in the analysis section and the incidental information which has been input last time.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic program that generate an image of a subject by transmitting ultrasonic waves into the subject using an ultrasonic probe and receiving reflected waves thereof.

  A body that visualizes the diagnostic part of the subject as an important means for leaving clear the diagnostic part to be imaged in ultrasonic diagnosis and the status of the diagnostic part in the usual ultrasonic diagnosis such as screening Annotations are used that characterize the status of marks and diagnostic sites. The diagnostic parts where body marks and annotations are used generally cover all areas where the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment can be applied. Therefore, manufacturers of ultrasonic diagnostic equipment display candidates and GUIs using TCS (Touch Command Screen). (Graphical User Interface) has a function of displaying selection candidates on the screen.

  Until now, body marks and annotations of each company have been arranged in TCS and GUI in a predetermined order. In addition, by preparing an editor so that the display contents and order can be customized, it is possible to change to an original arrangement.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2103-48762

  However, the use of body marks and annotations is subject to change at any time after repeated studies at academic societies, etc., and the order of arrangement of body marks and annotations on TCS and GUI is also considered within medical institutions from the viewpoint of examination efficiency. A review may be considered. At this time, in order to adapt to a new inspection flow, it is necessary to change the editor at any time using the above-described editor, and time for preparation is required.

  However, in general, examinations at medical institutions are performed almost without any gap from the opening of the hospital to the end of medical care, so in order to substantially cope with this, prepare a certain non-operation time between examinations, or respond after the medical care is finished. It becomes a state that must be done.

  An object of the present embodiment is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic program that can efficiently select body marks and annotations in accordance with an inspection flow.

  One aspect of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment is an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that generates an image by transmitting and receiving ultrasound to and from a subject using a probe, and presents a candidate for supplementary information to be added to the image A storage unit that stores a usage history of the incidental information used by the operator, an analysis unit that counts the usage frequency of the incidental information based on the usage history, a totaling result of the analysis unit, And a candidate selection unit for selecting candidates for the supplementary information to be presented to the presenting unit based on the supplementary information input to.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment. The figure which shows the example of a display of a body mark. The figure which shows the positional information and angle information of the probe with respect to a body mark. The figure which shows an example of a candidate selection process. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment. The figure which shows the display position of an annotation.

  Hereinafter, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic program according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe 12, a transmission / reception unit 13, an image generation unit 14, a control unit 15, a display unit 16, an operation panel 17, a keyboard 18, and a TCS (Touch Command Screen) 19.

  The ultrasonic probe 12 is arranged with a plurality of vibration elements, and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in contact with the body of the subject 11.

  The transmission / reception unit 13 drives the ultrasonic probe 12 to transmit ultrasonic waves and processes the received reflected signal to obtain tomographic image data in the subject 11.

  The image generation unit 14 converts the tomographic image data obtained by the transmission / reception unit 13 into ultrasonic image data according to an image mode (2D, CDI (Color Doppler Imaging), M, PW (Pulse Wave Doppler), etc.), and displays it. To the unit 16.

  The control unit 15 controls the operation of each unit of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and the control unit 15 further includes a storage unit 151, an analysis unit 152, and a candidate selection unit 153.

  The storage unit 151 stores a usage history of incidental information to be added to the ultrasound image. The incidental information includes three pieces of information: a body mark, a probe mark arranged on the body mark, and an annotation. The body mark is a diagram schematically showing the body of the subject to indicate which part on the subject has been diagnosed. As the accompanying information, which of the plurality of body marks is used is stored. The probe mark is a diagram schematically showing a probe shape for indicating which part on the subject is imaged, which is arranged on the body mark. As the incidental information, the position in the body mark and the angle at which the probe mark is arranged are stored. The annotation is a character string regarding information relating to the diagnostic part (for example, an annotation relating to the symptom of the diagnostic part), and is input on the ultrasonic image. As the incidental information, what character string is input as an annotation and where the annotation is input on the ultrasonic image is stored.

  The analysis unit 152 analyzes the usage history stored in the storage unit 151, thereby totaling the usage frequency of the supplementary information, and extracting the order and combination of body marks, probe marks, and annotations that are frequently used.

  The candidate selection unit 153 selects candidates of incidental information that the operator will use next to the current usage environment based on the total result of the analysis unit 152, and displays it on the operation panel 17 in a selectable manner.

  The display unit 16 is composed of a CRT, a liquid crystal display, or the like, and displays the ultrasonic image data generated by the image generation unit 14.

  The operation panel 17 receives an operation by the operator, inputs a signal corresponding to the operation to the control unit 15, and operates the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

  The keyboard 18 receives a key input operation by the operator and inputs a character string as an annotation to the control unit 15. In addition to inputting an arbitrary character using the keyboard 18, the annotation can be selected by selecting an arbitrary character string from a character string set prepared in advance using the keyboard 18 or the operation panel 17. You may input into the control part 15.

  The TCS 19 is a display that also serves as an input function, and as shown in FIG. 2, a button indicating a candidate for supplementary information to be added to the ultrasound image is displayed. The operator can input incidental information to be added to the ultrasonic image by touching a desired button.

Hereinafter, specific processing contents of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described according to each embodiment.
Example 1
In the first embodiment, a case where a body mark and a probe mark are used as supplementary information to be added to an ultrasonic image will be described. Since the probe mark indicates the imaging position of the ultrasonic image in the body mark, it is generally used for a diagnostic site such as the abdomen or chest. When the diagnosis site is a relatively small heart or fetus, the input and display of the probe mark can be omitted and the body mark alone can be used.

  The operator inputs the body mark and the probe mark when starting the ultrasonic imaging or when ending the ultrasonic imaging and saving the captured image. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the TCS 19 displays basic device candidates as options. When the body mark and the probe mark are input via the TCS 19, the control unit 15 displays the position and the rotation angle of the body mark and the probe mark used during the inspection, the date and time when the body mark and the probe mark are used, and the usage history. Is recorded in the recording unit 151.

  Next, the analysis unit 152 summarizes the usage history recorded in the recording unit 151 at regular intervals, and totals the combination patterns of the body mark that frequently appears and the position and rotation angle of the probe mark associated with the mark. . For example, a combination of the body mark and the position of the probe mark and the rotation angle, such as a body mark indicating the abdominal region and the probe mark being arranged in the vertical direction on the left side of the middle stage of the body mark, is totalized as a combination pattern.

  However, unlike a body mark that is used by selecting one of a plurality of candidates, the position and rotation angle of the probe mark may be used even if it is used with the intention of being placed at the same location on the body mark. As a result of this operation, a slight difference can occur in units of 1 pixel. Therefore, for example, with regard to the position of the probe mark, the body mark is divided into a grid-like rough area, and the area where the probe mark is arranged is stored as the arrangement position of the probe mark in the incidental information. That is, as shown on the left side of FIG. 3, “the position into which the body mark area (area where the probe mark can be arranged) is divided into 16 in the vertical and horizontal directions” is stored as the arrangement position of the probe mark in the accompanying information. Moreover, even if it uses with the intention of arrange | positioning at the same angle also about the rotation angle which arrange | positions a probe mark, the rotation angle arrange | positioned by operation of an operator may differ slightly each time. Therefore, the probe mark rotation angle is classified into, for example, about 16 types of probe mark rotation angles and stored as angle information. That is, as shown on the right side of FIG. 3, a wide management is performed such as “which angle into which the angle is divided into 16”.

  In this way, the analysis unit 152 aggregates the combination patterns and selects a combination pattern that is frequently used as a high-frequency pattern. The candidate selection unit 153 extracts the combination pattern that is frequently used next to the high-frequency pattern from the history of the usage order of the combination pattern. FIG. 4 shows an example of processing of the candidate selection unit 153. For example, there are patterns A, B, C, D,... As combinations of positions and rotation angles of body marks and probe marks, and a plurality of usage order histories are shown on the left of FIG. First, the analysis unit 152 analyzes a plurality of usage order histories and extracts the pattern A as a high-frequency pattern because the pattern A is used frequently. Next, when the pattern A is extracted as a high-frequency pattern, the candidate selection unit 153 sums up as a use frequency histogram of each pattern selected next to the pattern A from the use history. Based on this histogram, it is estimated that pattern B is likely to be used next to pattern A. Thereby, when a certain combination pattern is used, the combination which the operator will select next can be easily estimated.

  By analyzing the combination pattern used and the combination pattern to be used next by these analyses, the operator enters the combination pattern body mark and probe mark during the actual inspection, and then the body mark When the apparatus shifts to a state in which the probe mark is input, a combination pattern estimated to be used next can be presented to the operator. The target of analyzing the combination pattern to be used next is not limited to the high-frequency pattern, and may be performed for all combination patterns (B, C, D...) The analysis may be performed only on the combination pattern that is used at the rate or higher.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation during diagnosis of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment. When the user starts an ultrasonic examination (step S1), an ultrasonic image of the diagnostic region is drawn on the display unit 16 (step S2). Here, when the body mark input mode is set to On on the operation panel 17, body mark options are displayed in a list on the TCS menu. In this list display, in the initial state, that is, when the first body mark is selected, basic candidates are displayed in a list (step S3), and the user selects a body mark from the displayed basic candidates (step S4). . The user places the probe mark on the selected body mark at an arbitrary position and rotation angle, and when input of the body mark and probe mark is completed, an ultrasonic image depicting the position and rotation angle of the body mark and probe mark is drawn. The combination pattern is sent to the candidate selection unit 153. Subsequently, an ultrasound image of the next part is drawn on the display unit 16 (step S5), and when the body mark input mode is turned on, the candidate selection unit 153 is based on the analysis result of the use history by the analysis unit 152. New candidates that will be selected next to the combination pattern used in step S4 are listed on the TCS menu together with basic candidates (step S6). The user can select a body mark from the basic candidates and new candidates displayed in the list (step S7).

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the TCS 19 displays a new candidate pattern separately from the basic candidate as a switch, so that the operator can easily select it and display it on the screen. If the apparatus has a GUI, this candidate pattern can be easily selected by displaying it on the GUI instead of the TCS.

  The number of combination pattern candidates displayed as a new candidate is not limited to one, and it is desirable to be able to display up to several in order from the most frequently used one. When the number of candidates increases, the ease of selection is lost. However, since the number of candidates may not make sense for selection, the number of displayed candidates is optimally set beforehand by the operator. May be set. When the combination pattern is analyzed only for the high frequency pattern, when a combination pattern that is not the high frequency pattern is input by the operator in step S4, only the basic candidates are displayed in step S6, and the new candidates are Do not show.

  In addition, analysis for selecting display candidates may be performed each time the body mark and probe mark are input. In this case, the candidate may be changed several times a day. Candidates sometimes get confused because they can change during a single exam. Therefore, the timing of updating the analysis result may be performed, for example, at the end of the inspection or at the end of the apparatus.

  Furthermore, in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, in general, image quality parameter presets are provided for each examination site so that an optimum image quality display is performed for each examination site, and the switch arrangement displayed on the TCS also has a preset arrangement. It is provided for each. In the application of this embodiment, the combination pattern of body mark / probe mark is aggregated for all examinations and the display candidates are analyzed. In addition, the combination patterns are classified for each examination part, and display candidates are given for each examination part. A configuration for performing the analysis may be used. In this case, not only the combination pattern of the body mark and probe mark but also the examination site information is additionally recorded in the usage history, and the usage history analysis is subdivided as a result of each examination site, and the display pattern is managed. Is called.

(Example 2)
In the second embodiment, a case where an annotation is used as supplementary information to be added to an ultrasonic image will be described. The basic operation of the second embodiment is the same as that of the combination pattern of the body mark / probe mark, and therefore, the difference from the first embodiment will be described.

  The body mark is operated by a combination of arranging the probe mark in the body mark, but in the case of the annotation, unlike the body mark combined with other information, it is used alone. The control unit 15 records, in the recording unit 151, which annotation has been input and when, and the input order.

  The analysis unit 152 summarizes the usage history recorded in the recording unit 151 at regular intervals, and totals the number of times the annotation is used. The candidate selection unit 153 extracts annotations that are frequently used as high-frequency patterns. Then, annotations that are often used after this high-frequency pattern is used are selected as candidates. The selection of candidates is performed using a histogram in the same manner as the combination pattern of body marks and probe marks. By displaying the selected candidate on the TCS or GUI screen as a new candidate different from the basic candidate, the operator can easily select it.

  As in the case of the body mark in the first embodiment, the number of candidates displayed as new candidates separately from the basic candidates is not limited to one, and the number of presets can be displayed in advance. Further, the examination part information is attached to the annotation use history and stored, and the candidate is analyzed for each examination part, so that the candidate for each examination part can be selected.

On the other hand, the annotation has the following two characteristics as different from the body mark.
[Feature 1]
As described in the first embodiment, the probe mark is arranged at an arbitrary angle at an arbitrary position on the body mark. The body mark and the probe mark are displayed in a display area different from the normal ultrasound image. On the other hand, the annotation is basically arranged at an arbitrary position on the ultrasonic image. In the second embodiment, it has been described that the analysis and selection of candidates are performed based on the input contents of the annotation. Analysis and selection of candidates may be performed based on the above. At this time, since the annotation can be moved in units of 1 pixel on the screen, in actuality, there may be a slight positional shift due to the same position. Therefore, the ultrasonic image is divided into grid-like areas like probe marks instead of exact annotation arrangement coordinates, and the area where the annotation is arranged is saved as the annotation arrangement position in the combination pattern. Thus, it is possible to perform a wide range of management.

  Also, when the image mode (2D, CDI, M, PW, etc.) is switched, the display layout of the ultrasonic image may be changed together. It is also possible to record image mode information attached to the combination pattern, and analyze and select candidates. By performing analysis and selection for each image mode, management of combination pattern positions often used in that image mode and layout setting differences in the same image mode (for example, there are differences in the vertical display mode and the left and right display mode in the PW mode) ), The combination pattern candidates for displaying the annotation at the optimum position can be presented. For example, the display position of the annotation in the 2D mode is shown on the left side of FIG. 6 and the annotation is displayed on the right side of FIG. Even if exactly the same annotation is selected in this way, the candidate can be displayed at the optimum position according to the image mode used by the operator for the inspection, so that the convenience can be further improved. It is also true that there are annotations that may change the display position on the screen depending on the patient's body shape, and in this case, the above functions may interfere with the examination. It is desirable to select valid / invalid for narrowing down analysis / selection of candidates for each mode. Further, since the situation varies depending on the examination site, it is better that this selection is determined for each examination site. This analysis / selection of candidates for each image mode is not limited to annotation, and may be applied to a combination pattern of body marks and probe marks.

[Feature 2]
As feature 2, in addition to selecting an arbitrary annotation from a predetermined character string, a character string can be freely input using a keyboard or the like. Even in this case, the number of appearances of the same character string is analyzed as in the case of the fixed pattern annotation, but uppercase and lowercase letters are mixed even when the same character string is input on the same device due to an operator's habit or the like. Or enter only capital letters. It is good to be able to set whether or not to distinguish between uppercase and lowercase in analysis and selection. In addition, even if the words have the same meaning, there is a possibility that the abbreviations are mixed with the case of full spelling. In this case, the words are basically handled as different words. However, a table in which the full spelling of a typical character string and an abbreviation are associated with each other is provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, or the table is displayed in an editor or the like. It can also be edited so that both can be analyzed as the same word. Even if the former is not strict, for example, a character string having the same first 2-3 characters may be provided with a fuzzy search function for determining the same line. It is also desirable that these can be switched to use the setting.

  As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, by switching the inspection technique even when the inspection flow is changed, there is no need for troublesome work, and the body mark / Probe mark / annotation can be selected efficiently. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the operation time when using body marks, probe marks, and annotations that are frequently used in ultrasonic diagnosis such as medical examinations that are generally performed.

  Although several embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Test subject, 12 ... Probe, 13 ... Transmission / reception part, 14 ... Image generation part, 15 ... Control part, 151 ... Recording part, 152 ... Analysis part, 153 ... Candidate selection part, 16 ... Display part, 17 ... Operation panel, 18 ... Keyboard, 19 ... TCS.

Claims (8)

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that generates an image by transmitting and receiving ultrasound to and from a subject using a probe,
A presentation unit for presenting candidate supplementary information to be added to the image;
A storage unit for storing a usage history of the incidental information used by the operator;
An analysis unit that counts the usage frequency of the incidental information based on the usage history;
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, comprising: a candidate selection unit that selects a candidate of supplementary information to be presented to the presentation unit based on the total result of the analysis unit and the supplementary information input most recently .   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the usage history also includes information on an order in which incidental information is used.   The candidate selecting unit selects a candidate of incidental information to be presented to the presenting unit in a case where high-frequency incidental information that is equal to or greater than a certain value is incidental information that has been input most recently. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2.   The candidate selection unit analyzes the usage frequency of the supplementary information used in the next order of the high-frequency supplementary information, and selects the supplementary information with a high usage frequency as a candidate of supplementary information to be presented to the presentation unit. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the incidental information is a body mark. The incidental information further includes a probe mark indicating the position and rotation angle of the probe,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the analysis unit totals the usage frequency of a combination of the position and rotation angle of the body mark and the probe mark based on the usage history.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the incidental information is an annotation. On the computer,
A presentation process for presenting a candidate for supplementary information to be added to an image generated by transmitting and receiving ultrasound to and from a subject with a probe;
A storage process for storing a usage history of the incidental information used by the operator in a storage unit;
An analysis process for counting the usage frequency of the incidental information based on the usage history;
An ultrasound diagnostic program for executing a candidate selection process for selecting a candidate for supplementary information to be presented to the presenting unit based on the total result of the analysis process and the supplementary information input most recently.

Images