JP2020195677A - Biological information processing method, biological information processing program, and biological information processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To recognize the state of blood flow of a subject by a relatively simple method while reducing physical burden on the subject.SOLUTION: A biological information processing method includes: a step (S1) of generating image data showing an organ display picture; a step (S2) of acquiring first EIT data from at least one EIT measurement device; a step (S3) of identifying reference impedance value of the organ from the first EIT data; a step (S5) of acquiring second EIT data from the EIT measurement device in a later step in which an indicator material is injected in the vein of the subject; a step (S6) of identifying impedance value of the organ from the second EIT data; a step (S7) of identifying impedance variation value; and a step (S9) of updating the image data in such a way that a visual mode of the organ displayed on the organ display picture is updated on the basis of the impedance variation value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to a biometric information processing method, a biometric information processing program, and a biometric information processing apparatus. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a biometric information processing method, a biometric information processing program, and a biometric information processing apparatus using EIT data indicating an organ of a subject acquired from an EIT (Electrical Impedance Tomography) measuring device.

A display device capable of grasping the blood flow state of the patient's head by using electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is generally known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to EIT, the impedance between a pair of electrodes is measured based on the alternating current and the alternating voltage flowing between the pair of electrodes among the plurality of electrodes arranged around the measurement target. By measuring the plurality of impedances between the plurality of pairs of electrodes in this way, it is possible to calculate the impedance value of each of the plurality of minute regions (pixels) constituting the measurement target by numerical analysis. Further, by visualizing the EIT data showing the impedance value of each pixel, it is possible to visually grasp the state of the patient's measurement target (particularly, organ).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 54-137888

By the way, as one of the blood flow measuring methods for measuring the blood flow state of a patient, an indicator dilution method is known. In the indicator dilution method, after the indicator material is injected into the blood vessel, the concentration of the indicator material is measured using a sensor arranged on the downstream side of the blood flow. Further, as a method for measuring cardiac output, a thermal dilution method and a dye dilution method are known. Further, SPECT (Single Photon Emission CT) is known as a method for measuring cerebral blood flow.

However, the above-mentioned blood flow measurement method has a problem in that a relatively large physical burden is given to the patient and the measurement cannot be easily performed. Therefore, in the blood flow measurement method, there is room for searching for a new method capable of measuring the blood flow state of the patient by a relatively simple method while reducing the physical burden on the patient.

The present disclosure discloses a biometric information processing method, a biometric information processing program, and a biometric information processing apparatus capable of grasping the blood flow state of a subject by a relatively simple method while reducing the physical burden on the subject. The purpose is to provide.

The biological information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is
Steps to generate image data showing an organ display screen displaying at least one organ of the subject, and
The step of acquiring the first EIT data indicating the organ from at least one EIT measuring device, and
The step of specifying the reference impedance value of the organ from the first EIT data, and
In the step after injecting the indicator material into the vein of the subject, the step of acquiring the second EIT data indicating the organ from the EIT measuring device, and
The step of specifying the impedance value of the organ from the second EIT data,
The step of specifying the impedance change value, which is the difference between the specified impedance value and the reference impedance value, and
A step of updating the image data so that the visual aspect of the organ displayed on the organ display screen is changed based on the impedance change value.
including.

The biological information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is
The step of acquiring the first EIT data indicating at least one organ of the subject from at least one EIT measuring device, and
The step of specifying the reference impedance value of the organ from the first EIT data, and
In a step after injecting the indicator material into the vein of the subject, a step of continuously acquiring a plurality of second EIT data from the at least one EIT measuring device over time, and
A step of identifying a plurality of impedance values of the organ from the plurality of second EIT data,
A step of identifying a plurality of impedance change values, each of which is a difference between the corresponding one of the plurality of impedance values and the reference impedance value.
A step of identifying the organ arrival time when the indicator material reaches the organ from the plurality of impedance change values, and
A step of specifying the arrival time required for the indicator material to reach the organ based on the arrival time of the organ, and
including.

The biological information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is
The step of acquiring the first EIT data indicating at least one organ of the subject from at least one EIT measuring device, and
The step of specifying the reference impedance value of the organ from the first EIT data, and
In the step after injecting the indicator material into the vein of the subject, a step of continuously acquiring a plurality of second EIT data over time, and
A step of identifying a plurality of impedance values of the organ from the plurality of second EIT data,
A step of identifying a plurality of impedance change values, each of which is a difference between the corresponding one of the plurality of impedance values and the reference impedance value.
A step of visually presenting a graph showing the time change of the impedance change value, and
including.

Further, a biometric information processing program for causing a computer to execute the biometric information processing method may be provided. Further, a computer-readable storage medium in which the biometric information processing program is stored may be provided.

The biometric information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is
With the processor
It has a memory for storing computer-readable instructions.
When the computer-readable instruction is executed by the processor, the biometric information processor
Generate image data showing an organ display screen in which at least one organ of the subject is displayed.
Obtain the first EIT data indicating the organ from at least one EIT measuring device, and obtain
The reference impedance value of the organ is specified from the first EIT data, and
After injecting the indicator material into the vein of the subject, the second EIT data indicating the organ is acquired from the EIT measuring device.
The impedance value of the organ is specified from the second EIT data, and
The impedance change value, which is the difference between the specified impedance value and the reference impedance value, is specified.
Based on the impedance change value, the image data is updated so that the visual aspect of the organ displayed on the organ display screen is changed.

The biometric information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is
With the processor
It has a memory for storing computer-readable instructions.
When the computer-readable instruction is executed by the processor, the biometric information processor
Obtaining first EIT data indicating at least one organ of the subject from at least one EIT measuring device,
The reference impedance value of the organ is specified from the first EIT data, and
In the post-stage after injecting the indicator material into the subject's vein, a plurality of second EIT data were continuously acquired over time.
A plurality of impedance values of the organ are specified from the plurality of second EIT data, and a plurality of impedance values are specified.
Identifying a plurality of impedance change values, each of which is a difference between the corresponding one of the plurality of impedance values and the reference impedance value.
A step of identifying the organ arrival time when the indicator material reaches the organ from the plurality of impedance change values, and
Based on the organ arrival time, the arrival time required for the indicator material to reach the organ is specified.

The biometric information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is
With the processor
It has a memory for storing computer-readable instructions.
When the computer-readable instruction is executed by the processor, the biometric information processor
Obtaining first EIT data indicating at least one organ of the subject from at least one EIT measuring device,
The reference impedance value of the organ is specified from the first EIT data, and
In the post-stage after injecting the indicator material into the subject's vein, a plurality of second EIT data were continuously acquired over time.
A plurality of impedance values of the organ are specified from the plurality of second EIT data, and a plurality of impedance values are specified.
Identifying a plurality of impedance change values, each of which is a difference between the corresponding one of the plurality of impedance values and the reference impedance value.
A graph showing the time change of the impedance change value is visually presented.

According to the present disclosure, a bio-information processing method, a bio-information processing program, and bio-information that can grasp the state of blood flow of a subject by a relatively simple method while reducing the physical burden on the subject. A processing device can be provided.

It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware composition of the biological information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows each EIT measuring apparatus attached to a subject. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the process of updating the visual aspect of an organ display screen according to the impedance change value of each organ. It is a figure which shows an example of an organ display screen. It is a schematic diagram which shows some of the plurality of pixels constituting a predetermined organ to be measured. It is a figure which conceptually shows the route through which blood including an indicator material flows. It is a figure which shows the change of the visual aspect with the time passage of each organ displayed on the organ display screen. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the process of generating the arrival time display screen which shows the arrival time of each organ. It is a figure for demonstrating the change of the impedance change value with the passage of time. It is a figure which shows an example of the arrival time display screen. It is a figure which shows another example of the arrival time display screen. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the process of generating the impedance change value display screen which shows the time change of the impedance change value of each organ. It is a figure which shows an example of the impedance change value display screen.

Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the hardware configuration of the biometric information processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, simply referred to as “the present embodiment”) will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the biometric information processing device 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the biometric information processing device 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “processing device 1”) includes a control unit 2, a storage device 3, a network interface 4, a display unit 5, and an input operation unit 6. And a sensor interface 7. These components are communicably connected to each other via the bus 8.

The processing device 1 may be a dedicated device for processing the EIT data transmitted from each EIT measuring device. Further, the processing device 1 may be a personal computer, a workstation, a smartphone, a tablet, or a wearable device (for example, AR glass or the like) worn on the body (for example, arm or head) of a medical worker.

The control unit 2 includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions (programs). For example, the memory may be composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which various programs and the like are stored, a RAM (Random Access Memory) having a plurality of work areas in which various programs and the like executed by the processor are stored, and the like. Further, the memory may be configured by a flash memory or the like. The processor includes, for example, at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). In addition, the processor may include an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) and / or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The CPU may be composed of a plurality of CPU cores. The GPU may be composed of a plurality of GPU cores. The processor may be configured to expand a program designated from various programs incorporated in the storage device 3 or ROM on the RAM and execute various processes in cooperation with the RAM. In this respect, the control unit 2 may control various operations of the processing device 1 by deploying a biometric information processing program described later on the RAM and executing the program in cooperation with the RAM. ..

The storage device 3 is, for example, a storage device (storage) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory, and is configured to store programs and various data. A biometric information processing program may be incorporated in the storage device 3. Further, the storage device 3 may store the EIT data of the subject transmitted from each EIT measuring device 10.

The network interface 4 is configured to connect the processing device 1 to the communication network. Specifically, the network interface 4 may include various wired connection terminals for communicating with an external device such as a server via a communication network. Further, the network interface 4 may include various processing circuits and antennas for wireless communication with an access point (for example, a wireless LAN router or a wireless base station). The wireless communication standard between the access point and the processing device 1 is, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), LPWA or 5th generation mobile communication system (5G). .. The communication network includes at least one of LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network) and the Internet. For example, the biometric information processing program may be acquired from a server arranged on the communication network via the network interface 4.

The display unit 5 may be a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. Further, the display unit 5 may be a display device such as a transmissive or non-transparent head-mounted display or an AR display that is worn on the operator's head. Further, the display unit 5 may be a projector device that projects an image on the screen.

The input operation unit 6 is configured to receive an input operation of a medical worker who operates the processing device 1 and to generate an instruction signal corresponding to the input operation. The input operation unit 6 is, for example, a touch panel arranged on top of the display unit 5, operation buttons attached to a housing, a mouse and / or a keyboard, and the like. After the instruction signal generated by the input operation unit 6 is transmitted to the control unit 2 via the bus 8, the control unit 2 executes a predetermined operation in response to the instruction signal.

The sensor interface 7 is an interface for communicably connecting the head EIT measuring device 10a, the chest EIT measuring device 10b, and the abdominal EIT measuring device 10c to the processing device 1. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the head EIT measuring device 10a, the chest EIT measuring device 10b, and the abdominal EIT measuring device 10c may be collectively referred to as “EIT measuring device 10”. The sensor interface 7 may be connected to each EIT measuring device 10 by wire. In this case, the sensor interface 7 may include an input terminal into which a cable connected to each EIT measuring device 10 is inserted. Further, the sensor interface 7 may be wirelessly connected to each EIT measuring device 10. In this case, the sensor interface 7 may include various processing circuits, antennas, and the like for wireless communication with each EIT measuring device 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the head EIT measuring device 10a is attached to the head of the subject K such as a patient, and at least the head showing the brain, which is an organ existing in the head of the subject K. It is configured to acquire EIT data. The head EIT data includes the impedance value of each pixel (minimum unit region) constituting the head cross section.

As shown in FIG. 2, the chest EIT measuring device 10b is attached to the chest of the subject K such as a patient, and acquires chest EIT data indicating at least the heart and lungs existing in the chest of the subject K. It is configured as follows. The chest EIT data includes the impedance value of each pixel that constitutes the chest cross section.

As shown in FIG. 2, the abdominal EIT measuring device 10c is attached to the abdomen of the subject K such as a patient, and acquires at least abdominal EIT data indicating at least the kidneys and the liver existing in the abdomen of the subject K. It is configured as follows. The abdominal EIT data includes the impedance value of each pixel constituting the abdominal cross section.

In the following description, the head EIT data, the chest EIT data, and the abdominal EIT data may be collectively referred to as "EIT data".

(Processing to update the visual aspect of the organ display screen)
Next, with reference mainly to FIG. 3, a process of updating the visual aspect of the organ display screen G1 according to the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ will be described below. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a process of updating the visual aspect of the organ display screen G1 according to the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ.

As shown in FIG. 3, in step S1, the control unit 2 generates image data showing the organ display screen G1 (see FIG. 4), and then displays the organ display screen G1 based on the generated image data. Displayed in part 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the organ display screen G1 displays a diagram imitating the brain, lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys. The medical staff may be able to select the organ to be measured through the input operation unit 6. For example, when the brain, lungs, heart, and liver are selected as the organs to be measured, a diagram simulating the brain, lungs, heart, and liver is displayed on the organ display screen G1. In the description of this embodiment, it is assumed that the brain, lung, heart, liver and kidney are selected as the organs to be measured. Further, in the initial state of the organ display screen G1, the display color of each displayed organ is assumed to be white. That is, in the initial state, it is assumed that each organ on the organ display screen G1 is not displayed in gray.

Next, in step S2, the control unit 2 acquires EIT data (an example of the first EIT data) from each EIT measuring device 10. In particular, the control unit 2 acquires head EIT data indicating the brain from the head EIT measuring device 10a, chest EIT data indicating the heart and lungs from the chest EIT measuring device 10b, and kidneys from the abdominal EIT measuring device 10c. And abdominal EIT data showing the liver is acquired.

Next, in step S3, the control unit 2 specifies the reference impedance value Zr of each organ from each acquired EIT data. In this respect, the control unit 2 identifies the reference impedance value Zr of the brain from the head EIT data. The control unit 2 identifies the reference impedance value Zr of the heart (particularly the right heart and the left heart) and the lung from the chest EIT data. The control unit 2 identifies the reference impedance value Zr of the kidney and the liver from the abdominal EIT data. For example, a case where the control unit 2 specifies the reference impedance value Zr of the brain based on the head EIT data will be described below.

First, the control unit 2 identifies a plurality of pixels P belonging to the brain from the head EIT data. For example, the control unit 2 may identify a plurality of pixels P belonging to the brain by comparing the impedance values of all the pixels of the data indicating the general brain impedance value and the head EIT data.

Next, the control unit 2 selects a reference pixel Pr from a plurality of pixels P belonging to the brain (see FIG. 5). The method for selecting the reference pixel Pr is not particularly limited. For example, among a plurality of pixels P belonging to the brain, a pixel existing near the center may be selected as the reference pixel Pr. Next, the control unit 2 specifies the impedance value Z of the reference pixel Pr as the reference impedance value Zr of the brain. In particular, when the reference impedance value Zr of the brain is specified based on a plurality of head EIT data continuously acquired, the control unit 2 uses the average value of the plurality of impedance values Z of the reference pixel Pr as a reference. It may be specified as an impedance value Zr.

Further, the control unit 2 may specify the average value Zav of the impedance values Z of the plurality of pixels P belonging to the brain as the reference impedance value Zr of the brain. When the reference impedance value Zr of the brain is specified based on a plurality of continuously acquired head EIT data, the control unit 2 averages the impedance values Z of the plurality of pixels P in each head EIT data. The values Z _av1 , Z _av2, ... _Are calculated. After that, the control unit 2 may _specify the average value of the plurality of calculated average values Z _av1 , Z _av2, ... As the reference impedance value Zr of the brain.

As described above, in step S3, the control unit 2 specifies the reference impedance value Zr of each of the brain, lung, heart, liver and kidney.

Next, in step S4, the medical staff injects the indicator material into the vein of the subject. The indicator material is a liquid having an impedance value different from that of blood. The impedance value of the indicator material may be more than twice as large as the impedance value of blood. Further, the impedance value of the indicator material may be half or less of the impedance value of blood. Further, the osmotic pressure of the indicator material and blood may be close to each other. The indicator material is, for example, a saline solution, an artificial oncotic solution, microbubbles, a protein, an artificial cell, or the like. In this embodiment, a high-concentration saline solution is adopted as an example of the indicator material. The impedance value of high-concentration saline solution is smaller than the impedance value of blood. Therefore, when a high-concentration saline solution is used as the indicator material, the impedance value of the organ in which the indicator material is present decreases.

In this way, by measuring the change in the impedance value of each organ, the organ in which the indicator material currently exists can be identified, and the flow of the indicator material flowing through the blood vessel, that is, the state of blood flow of the subject. It becomes possible to grasp.

The healthcare professional may also inject the indicator material into the vein or central vein of the subject's arm. In the present embodiment, the processes of steps S1 to S3 are executed before step S4, but the processes of steps S1 to S3 may be executed immediately after step S4.

In addition, the medical staff may perform a predetermined operation on the processing device 1 through the input operation unit 6 at the same time as or immediately after starting the injection of the indicator material into the vein. The control unit 20 may specify the injection start time ts at which the injection of the indicator material into the vein is started according to a predetermined operation on the input operation unit 6 of the medical staff.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the indicator material is injected into the subject's vein, the indicator material first reaches the right heart, which is the right heart. The indicator material then passes through the lungs to reach the left heart, the left heart. The indicator material then reaches each of the brain, liver, and kidneys through the aorta.

Next, in step S5, the control unit 2 acquires EIT data (an example of the second EIT data) from each EIT measuring device 10. In particular, the control unit 2 acquires head EIT data indicating the brain from the head EIT measuring device 10a, chest EIT data indicating the heart and lungs from the chest EIT measuring device 10b, and kidneys from the abdominal EIT measuring device 10c. And abdominal EIT data showing the liver are acquired respectively.

Next, in step S6, the control unit 2 identifies the impedance value Z of each organ based on the EIT data transmitted from each EIT measuring device 10. In this respect, the control unit 2 identifies the impedance value Z of the brain based on the head EIT data. The control unit 2 identifies the impedance values Z of the heart (particularly, the right heart and the left heart, respectively) and the lungs from the chest EIT data. The control unit 2 identifies the impedance values Z of the kidney and the liver from the abdominal EIT data. For example, a case where the control unit 2 specifies the impedance value Z of the brain based on the head EIT data will be described. In this case, the control unit 2 specifies the impedance value of the reference pixel Pr among the plurality of pixels P belonging to the brain as the impedance value of the brain. Further, the control unit 2 may specify the average value Zav of the impedance values Z of the plurality of pixels P belonging to the brain as the impedance value Z of the brain.

In step S6, the control unit 2 may adopt the plurality of pixels P already identified in step S3 as the plurality of pixels P belonging to the brain, or the plurality of pixels P belonging to the brain from the head EIT data. May be newly specified. That is, each time the control unit 2 acquires the EIT data in step S5, the control unit 2 may newly specify the pixel P belonging to the organ to be measured (for example, the brain) based on the acquired EIT data. In this way, since the pixel P belonging to the organ to be measured is updated with respect to the EIT data acquired in step S6, the size and position of the organ to be measured fluctuate with time due to breathing or the like. Also, the pixel P belonging to the organ to be measured can be accurately specified, and the impedance value of the organ to be measured can be accurately specified.

Next, in step S7, the control unit 2 specifies the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ. In particular, the control unit 2 calculates the impedance change value ΔZ = | Z−Zr | of each organ based on the reference impedance value Zr of each organ and the impedance value Z of each organ. For example, when the impedance change value ΔZ of the brain is described, the control unit 2 calculates the impedance change value ΔZ = | Z−Zr | of the brain based on the reference impedance value Zr of the brain and the impedance value Z of the brain. Similarly, the control unit 2 identifies the impedance change value ΔZ of each of the lung, the heart, the liver, and the kidney.

Next, in step S8, the control unit 2 determines whether or not it is necessary to update the organ display screen G1 (see FIG. 4) based on the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ. If the determination result in step S8 is YES, the control unit 2 updates the organ display screen G1 based on the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S8 is NO, the present process proceeds to step S10.

In this respect, the control unit 2 updates the image data showing the organ display screen G1 so that the visual aspect of each organ displayed on the organ display screen G1 is changed based on the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ. To do. As a specific example, the control unit 2 has an organ display screen G1 based on a table showing the relationship between the impedance change value ΔZ and the gray scale (see Table 1) and the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ. May be determined if it needs to be updated.

For example, when the impedance change value ΔZ of the brain is within the range of Z _{th1 to} Z _th2 , the control unit 2 refers to the table and displays the brain displayed on the organ display screen G1 in gray at level 1. Decide to display. At this time, if the brain is currently displayed in white (level 0) on the organ display screen G1, the control unit 2 determines that the organ display screen G1 needs to be updated (YES in step S8). ), The organ display screen G1 is updated so that the brain is displayed in gray at level 1 (step S9). It is assumed that the gray becomes darker (darker) as the level of the gray scale increases. Grayscale may be represented, for example, in 256 levels.

表１：インピーダンス変化値とグレースケールレベルとの間の関係を示すテーブル

Table 1: A table showing the relationship between the impedance change value and the grayscale level.

Further, in this example, as the impedance change value ΔZ increases, the shade of gray that fills the organ gradually becomes darker, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, as the impedance change value ΔZ increases, the shade of a predetermined color (for example, red or blue) that fills the organ may gradually become darker.

After that, when the measurement of the EIT data is completed (YES in step S10), this process is completed. On the other hand, when the measurement of the EIT data is not completed (NO in step S10), the processes of steps S5 to S9 are repeatedly executed. For example, when the measurement ends when a predetermined time (for example, 80 seconds) elapses from the injection start time ts when the injection of the indicator material into the vein is started, the control unit 2 controls the injection start time ts in step S10. It may be determined whether or not the predetermined time has elapsed from. Further, when the frame rate of the EIT data is, for example, 1 fps (frames / second), the control unit 2 acquires 80 EIT data from each EIT measuring device 10 within 80 seconds from the injection start time ts. Can be done. Further, the control unit 2 can acquire 80 impedance change values ΔZ for each organ through the process of step S7.

FIG. 7 shows a change in the visual aspect of each organ displayed on the organ display screen G1 with the passage of time. The indicator material injected into the vein of subject K passes in the order of right heart → lung → left heart → brain → kidney → liver. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7A, the heart (right heart) is displayed in dark gray at time t1. Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the lungs are displayed in dark gray at time t2. Next, as shown in FIG. 7 (c), the heart (left heart) is displayed in dark gray at time t3. Next, as shown in FIG. 7D, the brain is displayed in dark gray at time t4. Next, as shown in FIG. 7 (e), the kidneys are displayed in dark gray at time t5. Finally, as shown in FIG. 7 (f), the liver is displayed in dark gray at time t6.

According to this embodiment, the visual aspect of each organ displayed on the organ display screen G1 is changed based on the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ. Further, this change in the impedance value Z occurs when the indicator material contained in the blood reaches each organ. Therefore, the medical staff can intuitively grasp the state of blood flow of the subject K by observing the change in the visual aspect of each organ displayed on the organ display screen G1. In this way, the state of blood flow of the subject K can be grasped by a relatively simple method while reducing the physical burden on the subject K.

(Process to generate arrival time display screen)
Next, the process of generating the arrival time display screen G2 (see FIG. 10) showing the arrival time of each organ will be described below with reference mainly to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a process of generating the arrival time display screen G2. The processes of steps S20 to S25 shown in FIG. 8 correspond to the processes of steps S2 to S7 shown in FIG. 3, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 8, in step S20, the control unit 2 acquires EIT data (an example of the first EIT data) from each EIT measuring device 10. Next, in step S21, the control unit 2 specifies the reference impedance value Zr of each organ from each acquired EIT data. Then, in step S22, the healthcare professional injects the indicator material into the subject's vein. Further, in step S22, the control unit 20 specifies the injection start time ts at which the injection of the indicator material into the vein is started in response to a predetermined operation on the input operation unit 6 of the medical staff.

In step S23, the control unit 2 acquires EIT data (an example of the second EIT data) from each EIT measuring device 10. Next, in step S24, the control unit 2 identifies the impedance value Z of each organ based on the EIT data transmitted from each EIT measuring device 10.

Next, the control unit 2 specifies the impedance change value ΔZ (= | Z−Zr |) of each organ based on the reference impedance value Zr of each organ and the impedance value Z of each organ (step S25). After that, when the measurement of the EIT data is completed (YES in step S26), this process proceeds to step S27. On the other hand, when the measurement of the EIT data is not completed (NO in step S26), the processes of steps S23 to S25 are repeatedly executed. For example, when the measurement ends when a predetermined time (for example, 80 seconds) elapses from the injection start time ts when the injection of the indicator material into the vein is started, the control unit 2 controls the injection start time ts in step S26. It may be determined whether or not the predetermined time has elapsed from. Further, when the frame rate of the EIT data is, for example, 1 fps, the control unit 2 can acquire 80 EIT data from each EIT measuring device 10 within 80 seconds from the injection start time ts. Further, the control unit 2 can acquire 80 impedance change values ΔZ for each organ.

Next, in step S27, the control unit 2 identifies the organ arrival time te at which the indicator material reaches the organ for each organ based on the plurality of impedance change values ΔZ of each organ. In this respect, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 2 sets the maximum value ΔZmax of the impedance change value among the plurality of impedance change values ΔZ for each organ based on the data indicating the plurality of impedance change values ΔZ of each organ. Specific to. It should be noted that in FIG. 9, for convenience, the impedance change value of each organ is standardized and displayed so that the maximum value ΔZmax of the impedance change value of each organ is the same. Next, the control unit 2 determines the time corresponding to the maximum value ΔZmax for each organ as the organ arrival time te. For example, the control unit 2 specifies the maximum value ΔZmax of the impedance change value among the plurality of impedance change values ΔZ of the brain, and then sets the time corresponding to the maximum value ΔZmax as the time when the indicator material reaches the brain. May be specified as.

Next, in step S28, the control unit 2 for each organ, based on the organ arrival time te and the injection start time ts, the arrival time T (T = te−) required for the indicator material to reach the organ. ts) is specified. For example, when the arrival time T required for the indicator material to reach the brain is specified, the control unit 2 causes the indicator material to move to the brain based on the arrival time te of the organ related to the brain and the injection start time ts. The arrival time T (= te-ts) required to reach the above is specified.

Next, in step S29, the control unit 2 generates an arrival time display screen G2 including a graph showing the arrival time T associated with each organ based on the information regarding the arrival time T associated with each organ. Then, the generated arrival time display screen G2 is displayed on the display unit 5. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the arrival time T associated with each organ may be displayed as a numerical value and a bar graph on the arrival time display screen G2.

According to the present embodiment, it is known that the arrival time T associated with each organ correlates with the blood flow rate of the subject K, so that the medical staff visually determines each arrival time T. By grasping it, the state of blood flow of the subject K can be intuitively grasped. In this way, it is possible to visually grasp the state of blood flow of the subject K by a relatively simple method while reducing the physical burden on the subject K.

In the present embodiment, the arrival time T required for the indicator material to reach the organ is specified based on the organ arrival time te and the injection start time ts, but the present embodiment is limited to this. It's not a thing. For example, the arrival time T may be specified based on the right heart arrival time ti and the organ arrival time te when the indicator material reaches the right heart. In this case, first, the control unit 2 specifies the maximum value ΔZmax of the impedance change value among the plurality of impedance change values ΔZ of the right heart, and then the indicator material sets the time corresponding to the maximum value ΔZmax to the right heart. It is specified as the arrival time ti of the right heart. After that, the control unit 2 determines the arrival time T (T = te-) required for the indicator material to reach the organ for each organ except the right heart, based on the organ arrival time te and the right heart arrival time ti. ti) is specified. In this case, even if the arrival time T associated with each organ (that is, lung, left heart, brain, kidney, and liver) other than the right heart is displayed as a numerical value and a bar graph on the arrival time display screen G2. Good.

Further, in the present embodiment, the time corresponding to the maximum value ΔZmax of the impedance change value is specified as the organ arrival time te, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, as shown in a graph (see FIG. 9) showing the time change of the impedance change value ΔZ, the rise time of the impedance change value ΔZ may be specified as the organ arrival time te. Further, the time at which the area surrounded by the graph showing the time change of the impedance change value ΔZ and the time axis is bisected may be specified as the organ arrival time te.

(Another example of the arrival time display screen)
Next, another example of the arrival time display screen will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an arrival time display screen G3 displayed on the display unit 5. The arrival time display screen G3 shown in FIG. 11 is common to the arrival time display screen G2 shown in FIG. 10 in that the arrival time T associated with each organ is displayed as a numerical value and a bar graph. On the other hand, on the arrival time display screen G3, when the arrival time T associated with the predetermined organ is longer than the reference arrival time Tth associated with the predetermined organ, the arrival time T associated with the predetermined organ The numerical value of and the visual aspect of the bar graph (for example, the display color) may be changed.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the arrival time T (17 seconds) associated with the liver is associated with the liver because it is longer than the reference arrival time Tth (eg, 15 seconds) associated with the liver. The visual aspect (for example, display color) of the numerical value of the arrival time T may be changed. Further, the visual aspect (eg, display color) of the bar graph R indicating the arrival time T associated with the liver may be modified. In this case, the visual aspect of the region R1 of the bar graph R between the reference arrival time Tth (15 seconds) and the arrival time T (17 seconds) may be changed.

On the other hand, since the arrival time T (5 seconds) associated with the brain is the same as the reference arrival time Tth (for example, 5 seconds) associated with the brain, the numerical value and bar graph of the arrival time T associated with the brain. The visual aspect of is unchanged. The reference arrival time Tth may be, for example, an arbitrary time set by the medical staff. Alternatively, past measurement data under specific conditions or the arrival time of each organ at the time of measurement in steady measurement may be set as the reference arrival time Tth. Further, the setting of the reference arrival time Tth associated with each organ or the information regarding the reference arrival time Tth associated with each organ may be input in advance to the processing device 1 by the medical staff.

According to the example of the arrival time display screen G3 shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 2 compares the reference arrival time Tth associated with each organ with the arrival time T associated with each organ, and then makes the comparison. Depending on the result, the numerical value of the arrival time T associated with each organ and the visual aspect of the bar graph are changed. In this way, the medical staff can intuitively grasp the state of blood flow (particularly, abnormal blood flow) of the subject K by looking at the arrival time display screen G3 displayed on the display unit 5. Can be done.

(Process to generate impedance change value display screen)
Next, with reference mainly to FIG. 12, the process of generating the impedance change value display screen G4 showing the time change of the impedance change value of each organ will be described below. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining a process of generating the impedance change value display screen G4. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the impedance change value display screen G4. The processes of steps S30 to S35 shown in FIG. 12 correspond to the processes of steps S2 to S7 shown in FIG. 3, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 12, in step S30, the control unit 2 acquires EIT data (an example of the first EIT data) from each EIT measuring device 10. Next, in step S31, the control unit 2 specifies the reference impedance value Zr of each organ from each acquired EIT data. Then, in step S32, the healthcare professional injects the indicator material into the subject's vein. Further, in step S32, the control unit 20 specifies the injection start time ts at which the injection of the indicator material into the vein is started in response to a predetermined operation on the input operation unit 6 of the medical staff.

In step S33, the control unit 2 acquires EIT data (an example of the second EIT data) from each EIT measuring device 10. Next, in step S34, the control unit 2 identifies the impedance value Z of each organ based on the EIT data transmitted from each EIT measuring device 10.

Next, the control unit 2 specifies the impedance change value ΔZ (= | Z−Zr |) of each organ based on the reference impedance value Zr of each organ and the impedance value Z of each organ (step S35). After that, when the measurement of the EIT data is completed (YES in step S36), this process proceeds to step S37. On the other hand, when the measurement of the EIT data is not completed (NO in step S36), the processes of steps S33 to S35 are repeatedly executed. For example, the measurement may be completed when a predetermined time (for example, 80 seconds) elapses from the injection start time ts when the injection of the indicator material into the vein is started.

Next, in step S37, the control unit 2 uses the impedance change value display screen G4 () including a graph showing the time change of the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ based on the data showing the plurality of impedance change values ΔZ of each organ. (See FIG. 13) is generated, and then the generated impedance change value display screen G4 is displayed on the display unit 5.

According to the present embodiment, the temporal change of the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ occurs when the indicator material contained in the blood reaches each organ, so that the medical worker can obtain the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ. By looking at the graph showing the temporal change, the state of blood flow of the subject K can be intuitively grasped. In this way, it is possible to visually grasp the state of blood flow of the subject K by a relatively simple method while reducing the physical burden on the subject K.

It should be noted that on the impedance change value display screen G4 shown in FIG. 13, the impedance change value of each organ is standardized and displayed so that the maximum value ΔZmax of the impedance change value of each organ is the same. I want to be. In this respect, the impedance change value display screen G4 may display a graph showing the temporal change of the impedance change value ΔZ of each organ in a state where the impedance change value of each organ is not standardized.

Further, in order to realize the processing device 1 according to the present embodiment by software, the biometric information processing program may be preliminarily incorporated in the storage device 3 or the ROM. Alternatively, the biometric information processing program may include a magnetic disk (eg, HDD, floppy disk), an optical disk (eg, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray® disk), a magneto-optical disk (eg, MO), and the like. It may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as a flash memory (for example, SD card, USB memory, SSD). In this case, the biometric information processing program stored in the storage medium may be incorporated in the storage device 3. Further, the program incorporated in the storage device 3 may be loaded on the RAM, and then the processor may execute the program loaded on the RAM. In this way, the biometric information processing method according to this embodiment is executed by the processing device 1.

Further, the biometric information processing program may be downloaded from a computer on the communication network via the network interface 4. In this case as well, the downloaded program may be incorporated into the storage device 3.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the description of the present embodiments. This embodiment is an example, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various embodiments can be changed within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

For example, in the description of the present embodiment, three EIT measuring devices, a head EIT measuring device 10a, a chest EIT measuring device 10b, and an abdominal EIT measuring device 10c, are used, but the number of EIT measuring devices 10 used is It is not particularly limited. For example, the number of EIT measuring devices used may be 2 or less or 4 or more depending on the number of organs to be measured. In this respect, when the heart, lungs and brain are the measurement targets, two EIT measuring devices, a head EIT measuring device 10a and a chest EIT measuring device 10b, are used.

For example, in the description of the present embodiment, three EIT measuring devices, a head EIT measuring device 10a, a chest EIT measuring device 10b, and an abdominal EIT measuring device 10c, are used, but the number of EIT measuring devices 10 used is It is not particularly limited. For example, when the heart, lungs, and brain are the measurement targets, the number of EIT measuring devices used is such that two EIT measuring devices, a head EIT measuring device 10a and a chest EIT measuring device 10b, are used. , 2 or less or 4 or more depending on the number of organs to be measured.

For example, when the heart, lungs, and brain are the measurement targets, only two EIT measuring devices, a chest EIT measuring device 10b and a head EIT measuring device 10a, may be used. In this case, the medical staff intuitively grasps whether or not blood is sufficiently supplied from the heart to the brain, which is an important organ, by visually recognizing the heart, lungs, and brain displayed on the organ display screen G1. can do.

Further, when the heart, liver and kidney are the measurement targets, only two EIT measuring devices, a chest EIT measuring device 10b and an abdominal EIT measuring device 10c, may be used. In this case, the medical staff can intuitively check whether the blood is sufficiently supplied from the heart to the liver / kidney, which is an important organ, by visually recognizing the heart, liver, and kidney displayed on the organ display screen G1. Can be grasped.

Further, when the heart and lungs are to be measured, only the chest EIT measuring device 10b may be used. In this case, the medical staff can intuitively grasp how the indicator material flows from the right heart through the lungs to the left heart by visually recognizing the heart and lungs displayed on the organ display screen G1. For example, the medical staff can examine the possibility of embolism in the right lung of the subject K by grasping the increase in the arrival time of the indicator material reaching the right lung through the organ display screen G1. In addition, the medical staff examines the possibility that the cardiac output of the subject K is decreasing by grasping the increase in the arrival time of the indicator material from the right heart to the left heart through the organ display screen G1. can do.

Further, only one of the head EIT measuring device 10a or the abdominal EIT measuring device 10c may be used. In this case, for example, if the indicator material is administered to the central vein using a catheter or the indicator material is administered to the brachial vein and then the indicator material is flushed with a small amount (for example, about 20 cc) of physiological saline, the indicator material is used. Reaches the right heart immediately. Therefore, the blood flow rate of the subject K can be grasped only by obtaining the difference between the time when the indicator material is administered and the time when it reaches each organ.

The organ to be measured in the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, and liver. Organs other than these organs (intestine, pancreas, etc.) and muscles may be added as measurement targets. Further, the organ to be measured may be at least two of the heart, lungs, brain, kidneys and liver. For example, when the heart (right heart and left heart) and the brain are the measurement targets, two EIT measuring devices, a head EIT measuring device 10a and an abdominal EIT measuring device 10c, are used.

1: Biological information processing device (processing device)
2: Control unit 3: Storage device 4: Network interface 5: Display unit 6: Input operation unit 7: Sensor interface 10a: Head EIT measurement device 10b: Chest EIT measurement device 10c: Abdominal EIT measurement device 20: Control unit

Claims (18)

Steps to generate image data showing an organ display screen displaying at least one organ of the subject, and
The step of acquiring the first EIT data indicating the organ from at least one EIT measuring device, and
The step of specifying the reference impedance value of the organ from the first EIT data, and
In the step after injecting the indicator material into the vein of the subject, the step of acquiring the second EIT data indicating the organ from the EIT measuring device, and
The step of specifying the impedance value of the organ from the second EIT data,
The step of specifying the impedance change value, which is the difference between the specified impedance value and the reference impedance value, and
A step of updating the image data so that the visual aspect of the organ displayed on the organ display screen is changed based on the impedance change value.
Biometric information processing methods, including. The step of specifying the reference impedance value is
A step of identifying at least one pixel belonging to the organ from the first EIT data,
The step of identifying the impedance value of the pixel and
The step of specifying the reference impedance value from the impedance value of the pixel, and
Including
The step of identifying the impedance value of the organ is
The step of identifying the impedance value of the pixel belonging to the organ from the second EIT data, and
The step of identifying the impedance value of the organ from the impedance value of the pixel,
The biometric information processing method according to claim 1. The step of identifying the impedance value of the organ is
The biometric information processing method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of identifying at least one pixel belonging to the organ from the second EIT data. The step of specifying the reference impedance value is
A step of identifying a plurality of pixels belonging to the organ from the first EIT data,
The step of identifying the impedance values of the plurality of pixels and
A step of specifying the reference impedance value from the average value of the impedance values of the plurality of pixels, and
Including
The step of identifying the impedance value of the organ is
A step of identifying the impedance values of a plurality of pixels belonging to the organ from the second EIT data, and
The step of identifying the impedance value of the organ from the average value of the impedance values of the plurality of pixels,
The biometric information processing method according to claim 1 or 2. The step of acquiring the first EIT data indicating at least one organ of the subject from at least one EIT measuring device, and
The step of specifying the reference impedance value of the organ from the first EIT data, and
In a step after injecting the indicator material into the vein of the subject, a step of continuously acquiring a plurality of second EIT data from the at least one EIT measuring device over time, and
A step of identifying a plurality of impedance values of the organ from the plurality of second EIT data,
A step of identifying a plurality of impedance change values, each of which is a difference between the corresponding one of the plurality of impedance values and the reference impedance value.
A step of identifying the organ arrival time when the indicator material reaches the organ from the plurality of impedance change values, and
A step of specifying the arrival time required for the indicator material to reach the organ based on the arrival time of the organ, and
Biometric information processing methods, including. Further comprising the step of identifying the injection start time at which the injection of the indicator material into the vein was started.
The step of identifying the arrival time is
The biological information processing method according to claim 5, further comprising a step of specifying the arrival time based on the organ arrival time and the injection start time. Further including a step of identifying the right heart arrival time when the indicator material reaches the right heart.
The step of identifying the arrival time is
The biological information processing method according to claim 5, further comprising a step of specifying the arrival time based on the arrival time of the organ and the arrival time of the right heart. The step of identifying the organ arrival time is
A step of specifying the maximum value of the impedance change value among the plurality of impedance change values, and
A step of determining the time corresponding to the maximum value as the organ arrival time, and
The biometric information processing method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising. The biometric information processing method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising a step of visually presenting the specified arrival time. A step of specifying the reference arrival time required for the indicator material to reach the organ based on the attribute information of the subject, and
The step of visually presenting the identified arrival time and
A step of changing the visual aspect of the identified arrival time when the identified arrival time is longer than the reference arrival time, and
The biometric information processing method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising. The step of acquiring the first EIT data indicating at least one organ of the subject from at least one EIT measuring device, and
The step of specifying the reference impedance value of the organ from the first EIT data, and
In the step after injecting the indicator material into the vein of the subject, a step of continuously acquiring a plurality of second EIT data over time, and
A step of identifying a plurality of impedance values of the organ from the plurality of second EIT data,
A step of identifying a plurality of impedance change values, each of which is a difference between the corresponding one of the plurality of impedance values and the reference impedance value.
A step of visually presenting a graph showing the time change of the impedance change value, and
Biometric information processing methods, including. The biometric information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one organ includes at least two of a heart, a lung, a brain, a kidney, and a liver. The at least one EIT measuring device is
It is equipped with a chest EIT measuring device configured to acquire EIT data showing the heart and lungs.
The at least one EIT measuring device is
It further comprises at least one of a head EIT measuring device configured to acquire EIT data indicating the brain and an abdominal EIT measuring device configured to acquire EIT data indicating the kidneys and liver. ,
The biometric information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 12. A bio-information processing program for causing a computer to execute the bio-information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 13. A computer-readable storage medium in which the biometric information processing program according to claim 14 is stored. With the processor
A biometric information processing device equipped with a memory for storing computer-readable instructions.
When the computer-readable instruction is executed by the processor, the biometric information processor
Generate image data showing an organ display screen in which at least one organ of the subject is displayed.
Obtain the first EIT data indicating the organ from at least one EIT measuring device, and obtain
The reference impedance value of the organ is specified from the first EIT data, and
After injecting the indicator material into the vein of the subject, the second EIT data indicating the organ is acquired from the EIT measuring device.
The impedance value of the organ is specified from the second EIT data, and
The impedance change value, which is the difference between the specified impedance value and the reference impedance value, is specified.
The image data is updated so that the visual aspect of the organ displayed on the organ display screen is changed based on the impedance change value.
Bio-information processing device. With the processor
A biometric information processing device equipped with a memory for storing computer-readable instructions.
When the computer-readable instruction is executed by the processor, the biometric information processor
Obtaining first EIT data indicating at least one organ of the subject from at least one EIT measuring device,
The reference impedance value of the organ is specified from the first EIT data, and
In the post-stage after injecting the indicator material into the subject's vein, a plurality of second EIT data were continuously acquired over time.
A plurality of impedance values of the organ are specified from the plurality of second EIT data, and a plurality of impedance values are specified.
Identifying a plurality of impedance change values, each of which is a difference between the corresponding one of the plurality of impedance values and the reference impedance value.
A step of identifying the organ arrival time when the indicator material reaches the organ from the plurality of impedance change values, and
Based on the arrival time of the organ, the arrival time required for the indicator material to reach the organ is specified.
Bio-information processing device. With the processor
A biometric information processing device equipped with a memory for storing computer-readable instructions.
When the computer-readable instruction is executed by the processor, the biometric information processor
Obtaining first EIT data indicating at least one organ of the subject from at least one EIT measuring device,
The reference impedance value of the organ is specified from the first EIT data, and
In the post-stage after injecting the indicator material into the subject's vein, a plurality of second EIT data were continuously acquired over time.
A plurality of impedance values of the organ are specified from the plurality of second EIT data, and a plurality of impedance values are specified.
Identifying a plurality of impedance change values, each of which is a difference between the corresponding one of the plurality of impedance values and the reference impedance value.
A graph showing the time change of the impedance change value is visually presented.
Bio-information processing device.

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