JP2021058362A - Medical imaging system, method for controlling medical imaging system, control device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To control an operation in charging internal power supplying means included in a medical imaging device in a further preferable mode while taking account of noise affecting an imaging result.SOLUTION: A medical imaging system includes: imaging means for imaging a subject which is configured so as to be operable on the basis of power supplied from internal power supplying means configured so as to be rechargeable; and control means for controlling power supply related to recharging of the internal power supplying means in accordance with an amount of power stored in the internal power supplying means and an operation schedule of the imaging means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to a medical imaging system, a control method, a control device, and a program of the medical imaging system.

A technique for recording an image such as a still image or a moving image according to the imaging result of a subject as electronic data is generally known. The technique of recording such an image as electronic data is also applied to a so-called medical imaging device that captures an image of an affected area (subject). As an example of a medical imaging device, for example, a radiation imaging device that captures a radiation image of an affected area (subject) by using a detection result of radiation (for example, X-rays) transmitted through a subject is known. In particular, in recent years, a radiation imaging device capable of presenting a radiation image according to the imaging result of the affected area in real time has also been proposed. Further, in recent years, a flat panel type radiation imaging device (radiation detector) called an FPD (Flat Panel Detector) has also been proposed.

The flat panel type radiation imaging device described above uses, for example, an internal power supply means such as a so-called battery as a power supply source for driving, and enables data to be transmitted / received to / from an external device using wireless communication or the like. Therefore, it can be realized as a portable medical imaging device. We also propose a portable medical imaging device equipped with such an internal power supply means that can charge the internal power supply means by connecting it to an external power supply unit via a power supply cable. Has been done. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a portable radiation imaging device having a built-in battery and driven without a cable.

Japanese Patent No. 4883222

On the other hand, when charging the internal power supply means, a large amount of electric power is supplied to the internal power supply means, so that when imaging is performed in parallel with charging, an image signal corresponding to the imaging result can be obtained. On the other hand, noise may be superimposed, and as a result, the image quality may deteriorate.

It is an object of the present invention to control the operation associated with charging the internal power feeding means included in the medical imaging device in a more preferable manner in view of the influence of noise on the imaging result in view of the above problems.

The medical imaging system of the present invention is configured to be operable based on the supply of electric power from a rechargeable internal power supply means, and is configured to be operable, and the image pickup means for imaging a subject and the electric power stored in the internal power supply means. A control means for controlling the supply of electric power related to the charging of the internal power feeding means is provided according to the amount, the operation schedule of the imaging means, and the operation schedule.

According to the present invention, in view of the influence of noise on the imaging result, it is possible to control the operation associated with charging the internal power feeding means included in the medical imaging apparatus in a more preferable manner.

It is a figure which showed an example of the system configuration of a radiation imaging system. It is a figure which showed an example of the hardware configuration of a control device. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating an example of control of an image pickup unit. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating an example of control of an image pickup unit. It is a flowchart which showed an example of the processing of a radiation imaging system. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating an example of the information about the operation history of the image pickup unit. It is a figure which showed an example of the control table which concerns on the charge of a battery. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating an example of control relating to charge of a battery. It is a figure which showed the modification.

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, so that duplicate description will be omitted.
Further, in the present disclosure, when still images and moving images are not particularly distinguished, they may be simply referred to as "images". That is, when the term "image" is simply described, both the "still image" and the "moving image" can be included unless otherwise specified.

(System configuration)
An example of the system configuration of the radiation imaging system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The radiation imaging system 1 includes a radiation generator 100, a control system 200, and an imaging unit 300. The radiation generator 100, the control system 200, and the imaging unit 300 are connected to each other via a predetermined network, and can transmit and receive information and data to and from each other. Further, the control system 200 may be connected to another device such as the hospital server 400 connected to the network via a network such as the hospital network so as to be able to transmit and receive information and data.
The type of network connecting each configuration included in the radiation imaging system 1 is not particularly limited. As a specific example, the network may be configured by the Internet, a dedicated line, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the like. Further, the network may be composed of a wired network or a wireless network. Further, the network may include a plurality of networks, and a network of a type different from other networks may be applied as a part of the network. Further, the communication between the above-mentioned devices may be logically established, and the physical configuration of the above-mentioned network is not particularly limited. As a specific example, communication between at least two or more devices among the above-mentioned devices may be relayed by another communication device or the like.
Further, the radiation imaging system 1 corresponds to an example of a "medical imaging system".

The radiation generator 100 generates radiation such as X-rays and exposes the radiation toward the subject H (for example, a patient). The radiation generator 100 includes a radiation tube 111, a control unit 112, and an exposure switch 113.

The radiation tube 111 generates radiation by accelerating electrons at a high voltage and causing them to collide with the anode. The control unit 112 controls the operation of the radiation tube 111. The exposure switch 113 is an input device for the radiation generator 100 to receive an instruction related to radiation exposure from the user. When the exposure switch 113 is pressed, the control unit 112 controls the operation of the radiation tube 111 based on preset radiation exposure conditions to expose the radiation tube 111 to radiation. The radiation is not limited to X-rays, and may be, for example, α-rays, β-rays, or γ-rays. Further, at least a part of the configuration of the radiation generator 100 may be changed according to the radiation to be generated.

The imaging unit 300 captures a radiographic image of a subject (for example, an affected area). Specifically, the imaging unit 300 detects radiation that has been exposed from the radiation generator 100 and has passed through the subject (patient), and outputs an image signal of a radiation image (captured image) of the affected area according to the detection result. To do. Further, the imaging unit 300 may generate image data of a radiation image based on the image signal.
Further, the image pickup unit 300 is configured to be operable based on the supply of electric power by an internal power supply means such as a battery or the like. The image pickup unit 300 includes an area sensor unit 311, a control circuit 314, a power supply circuit 315, a battery 316, a connector 317, and a wireless communication device 318.

The area sensor unit 311 detects the radiation that has been exposed from the radiation generator 100 and has passed through the subject, and generates an image signal according to the detection result. Specifically, the area sensor unit 311 includes a plurality of pixels 320 two-dimensionally arranged, a gate driver 312, and a read circuit 313.
The pixel 320 includes, for example, a photoelectric conversion element and a switching transistor (TFT: Thin Film Transistor). The pixel 320 converts radiation into an electric signal, stores the electric signal, uses a predetermined control signal as a trigger, and uses the accumulated result of the electric signal as an image signal as an image signal at a predetermined output destination (for example, a read circuit 313). Output to.
The method of converting radiation into an electric signal is not particularly limited. As a specific example, the pixel 320 may be configured to convert radiation into visible light using a phosphor and then convert the visible light into an electric signal using a photoelectric conversion element. .. Further, as another example, the pixel 320 may be configured to directly convert radiation into an electrical signal.
The gate driver 312 sequentially selects the pixel 320 to be read out of the image signal from the plurality of pixels 320 arranged two-dimensionally, and supplies the drive signal to the switching transistor of the pixel 320. ..
The read circuit 313 reads the image signal stored in each pixel 320 and outputs the image signal to a predetermined output destination.

The power supply circuit 315 controls the supply of electric power to each unit of the imaging unit 300. Specifically, the power supply circuit 315 may supply the electric power stored in the battery 316 to the area sensor unit 311. Further, the power supply circuit 315 controls the charging of electric power to the battery 316. Specifically, the power supply circuit 315 charges the battery 316 with electric power by transmitting the power supply signal supplied to the image pickup unit 300 to the battery 316. Further, the power supply circuit 315 may control (for example, suppress) the transmission of the power supply signal to the battery 316 according to the amount of electric power stored in the battery 316.
The battery 316 corresponds to an internal power supply means that is a power supply source for each part of the image pickup unit 300. The battery 316 is configured to be able to charge electric power by supplying a power supply signal.

The wireless communication device 318 transmits / receives information and data to / from other devices via a wireless transmission path. For example, the wireless communication device 318 may receive the control signal related to the operation control of the imaging unit 300 transmitted from the control system 200 and output the control signal to the control circuit 314. As a result, the control circuit 314 can control the operation of each unit of the imaging unit 300 based on the instruction from the control system 200. Further, the wireless communication device 318 may transmit various information and various data to the control system 200 in response to an instruction from the control circuit 314. Thereby, for example, information indicating the state of the imaging unit 300 and image data according to the imaging result by the imaging unit 300 can be transmitted to the control system 200.

The connector 317 is an interface for each part of the imaging unit 300 to transmit and receive various signals, various information, and various data to and from an external device.
As a specific example, a power supply cable for supplying power may be connected to the connector 317, and a power signal may be supplied from an external device (for example, a power unit 212 described later) via the power supply cable. .. As a result, the power supply circuit 315 can charge the battery 316 based on the power signal supplied via the power supply cable connected to the connector 317.
Further, as another example, a transmission cable for transmitting various information and various data is connected to the connector 317, and an image signal output from the area sensor unit 311 to an external device via the transmission cable. May be transmitted.

The control circuit 314 controls the operation of each part of the image pickup unit 300. Specifically, the control circuit 314 controls the operations of the area sensor unit 311, the power supply circuit 315, the wireless communication device 318, and the like by developing and executing a program stored in a predetermined storage area.
Further, the control circuit 314 may receive the output of the image signal from the area sensor unit 311 and control the transmission of the image signal to an external device. For example, the control circuit 314 may control the image signal output from the area sensor unit 311 to be transmitted to another device via the transmission cable connected to the connector 317. Further, as another example, the control circuit 314 uses the wireless communication device 318 so that the image signal output from the area sensor unit 311 is transmitted to another device via the wireless transmission path. You may control it.
Further, the control circuit 314 converts the analog image signal output from the area sensor unit 311 into a digital signal to generate image data based on the digital signal so that the image data is transmitted to another device. You may control it.

The control system 200 includes a control device 211 and a power unit 212. Further, the control system 200 may include a wireless communication device 213 and may include an output device 214.

The output device 214 is a device for presenting the information to the user by outputting various information. For example, the output device 214 may be realized by a display device such as a display. In this case, the output device 214 presents the information to the user by displaying the desired information on the screen. Further, the output device 214 may include an acoustic output device such as a speaker. As a result, the output device 214 can present desired information to the user by outputting a sound such as an electronic sound or a voice. The above is just an example, and the configuration of the output device 214 may be appropriately changed depending on the information output method.

The control device 211 monitors the state of the image pickup unit 300 and controls the operation of the image pickup unit 300 by communicating with the image pickup unit 300 via a predetermined communication path. As a specific example, the control device 211 may communicate with the image pickup unit 300 via a wireless transmission path by using the wireless communication device 213.
Further, the control device 211 may control the operation of the radiation generator 100 so as to interlock with the imaging unit 300. As a specific example, instead of the exposure switch 113, the control device 211 may give an instruction regarding radiation exposure to the control unit 112. Thereby, for example, the control device 211 can synchronize the radiation exposure timing by the radiation generator 100 with the radiation detection timing by the imaging unit 300.

The control device 211 acquires various information related to the control of the imaging unit 300 and the radiation generator 100 from another device (for example, the hospital server 400) connected to the network via a network such as the hospital network. May be good.

The control device 211 may present the information to the user by causing the output device 214 to output various information. As a specific example, the control device 211 may acquire an image signal from the image pickup unit 300, generate an image based on the image signal, and output the image signal to the output device 214. As a result, the user can confirm the radiation image according to the imaging result by the imaging unit 300 via the output device 214.
Further, the control device 211 may have functions related to image analysis and image processing. In this case, for example, the control device 211 performs image analysis on the radiographic image based on the image signal acquired from the imaging unit 300 to perform image analysis on a desired subject (for example, the affected area) captured in the radiographic image. May be detected. Further, as another example, the control device 211 performs desired image processing on the radiation image based on the image signal acquired from the imaging unit 300, and then outputs the radiation image after the image processing to the output device 214. You may let me.

The various functions of the control device 211 described above may be realized by software. In this case, the control device 211 may realize the various functions described above by expanding and executing the program stored in the predetermined storage area. Further, as another example, the various functions of the control device 211 described above may be realized in terms of hardware by using a dedicated IC, a programmable IC, or the like.

The power unit 212 mediates the transmission of various signals, various information, and various data between the control device 211 and each of the imaging unit 300 and the radiation generator 100.
For example, the power unit 212 may transmit the control signal transmitted from the control device 211 to the imaging unit 300 or the radiation generator 100. Further, the power unit 212 may output the image signal transmitted from the imaging unit 300 to the control device 211.
Further, the power unit 212 may transmit a power supply signal to the image pickup unit 300 via a power supply cable. As a result, the image pickup unit 300 can charge the built-in battery 316 based on the power supply signal.

Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 1, a grid may be used for detecting radiation, or the imaging unit 300 may be installed on a bucky table or a recumbent stand and used. Moreover, the charger of the battery 316 may be provided individually.
Further, a plurality of devices may be provided as the control device 211, or a series of configurations of the control system 200 may be realized by a portable terminal device (for example, a mobile PC). Further, as long as information and data can be transmitted and received between the control device 211 and the imaging unit 300, the communication method and network type for that purpose are not particularly limited. This also applies to between the control device 211 and the radiation generator 100.
Further, a plurality of control systems 200 may be connected to one imaging unit 300 via a network, or one control system 200 may be connected to a plurality of imaging units 300 via a network. May be good. That is, m (m is an integer of 1 or more) control systems 200 may be connected to n (n is an integer of 1 or more) imaging units 300 via a network.

(Hardware configuration)
An example of the hardware configuration of the control device 211 will be described with reference to FIG. The control device 211 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 251, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 252, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 253. Further, the control device 211 includes an auxiliary storage device 254, a display unit 255, an operation unit 256, a communication I / F 257, and a bus 258.

The CPU 251 controls the entire control device 211 using computer programs and data stored in the ROM 252 and the RAM 253. As a result, the CPU 251 realizes each function of the angle of view control device A1002 shown in FIG. The control device 211 may have one or more dedicated hardware different from the CPU 251 and the dedicated hardware may execute at least a part of the processing by the CPU 251. Examples of dedicated hardware include ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), and DSPs (digital signal processors). The ROM 252 stores a program or the like that does not need to be changed. The RAM 253 temporarily stores programs and data supplied from the auxiliary storage device 254, data supplied from the outside via the communication I / F 257, and the like. The auxiliary storage device 254 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive or the like, and stores various data such as image data.

The display unit 255 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, an LED, or the like, and displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for the user to operate the control device 211. The operation unit 256 is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a touch panel, or the like, and inputs various instructions to the CPU 251 in response to an operation by the user.
The communication I / F 257 is used for communication with an external device of the control device 251. For example, when the control device 211 is connected to an external device by wire, a communication cable is connected to the communication I / F 257. When the control device 211 has a function of wirelessly communicating with an external device, the communication I / F 257 includes an antenna. Bus 258 connects each part of the control device 211 to transmit information.

FIG. 2 shows an example in which the display unit 255 and the operation unit 256 are present inside the control device 211, but at least one of the display unit 255 and the operation unit 256 is different from the outside of the control device 211. It may exist as a device. In this case, the CPU 251 may operate as a display control unit that controls the display unit 255 and an operation control unit that controls the operation unit 256.

The process shown in FIG. 5 is realized by the CPU 251 of the control device 211 expanding the program stored in the ROM 252 of the control device 211 or the auxiliary storage device 254 into the RAM 253 or the auxiliary storage device 254 and executing the program.

(Control example)
Subsequently, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, an example of the control of the imaging unit 300 will be described, paying particular attention to the relationship between the control related to the imaging of the radiation image and the control related to the charging of the battery 316. ..

First, FIG. 3 will be described. FIG. 3A relates to the setting of the operation related to the charging of the battery 316 (hereinafter, also referred to as “charging parameter”) according to the procedure using the imaging result of the radiographic image (hereinafter, also referred to as “shooting procedure”). An example of the control table is shown. Specifically, in the control table shown in FIG. 3A, a warning is given according to the charging capacity and the remaining amount of power stored in the battery 316 for each of the shooting techniques A to D (hereinafter, “remaining amount warning””. The presence or absence of (also referred to as) and the setting information regarding each of them are specified.

As the setting information regarding the charging capacity, any one of "0", "small", "medium", and "large" is set. When "0" is set as the charging capacity, it indicates that it is not desirable to charge the battery 316 during imaging. Further, with respect to "small", "medium", and "large" set as the charging capacity, setting information regarding the amount of the power supply signal supplied to the battery 316 at the time of charging is shown. Specifically, when "Large" is set as the charging capacity, more power supply signals are supplied to the battery 316 per unit time than when "Medium" is set as the charging capacity. Is controlled to. That is, when "Large" is set as the charging capacity, charging of the battery 316 can be completed in a shorter period of time than when "Medium" is set as the charging capacity.
Regarding the setting information regarding the presence / absence of the remaining amount warning, for example, the remaining amount warning is set for a procedure in which it is difficult to charge the battery 316 during imaging. That is, for a procedure set as having a remaining amount warning, it is desirable that sufficient power is stored in the battery 316 at the start of the procedure. In the following description, the amount of electric power stored in the battery 316 is also referred to as "remaining battery capacity".

The control system 200 includes the control table shown in FIG. 3A, the order of the photographing procedures to be executed sequentially (in other words, the operation schedule of the imaging unit 300), and the remaining amount of electric power stored in the battery 316. Based on this, the operation related to the charging of the battery 316 is controlled.

For example, FIG. 3B shows an example of setting information (control table) for controlling the operation related to charging the battery 316. In the example shown in FIG. 3B, the operation schedule of the imaging unit 300 is defined so that the photographing procedures A, D, and C are sequentially performed in this order. Further, for each of the photographing techniques A, D, and C, the setting information relating to the charging of the battery 316 is defined for each of the cases where the remaining battery level is 80% and 20%.

Specifically, in the photographing technique A scheduled to be executed in order 1, "small" is set as the charging capacity in FIG. 3A. That is, although charging is possible during the execution of the photographing procedure A, it is desirable to suppress the power supply signal supplied to the battery 316 for charging as much as possible. Therefore, in FIG. 3B, the battery 316 is not charged when 80% of the power remaining as the remaining battery power is secured when the photographing procedure A is executed.

Further, in the photographing technique C scheduled to be executed in the order 3, "0" is set as the charging capacity in FIG. 3A. That is, it is difficult to charge the battery 316 while the photographing technique C is being executed. On the other hand, in the shooting technique D scheduled to be executed in order 2, "large" is set as the charging capacity in FIG. 3A. That is, during the execution of the photographing procedure D, it is possible to charge the battery 316 by supplying more power supply signals per unit time. Therefore, in FIG. 3B, even when 80% of the power remaining as the battery level is secured when the shooting technique D is executed, a sufficient battery level is secured at the start of the shooting technique C to be executed next. As such, the battery 316 is set to be charged.

On the other hand, when the remaining battery level is only 20% (or less than 20%) at the time when the shooting technique A is executed, by the time the execution of the shooting technique C is started. , It is desirable to secure sufficient battery level. Therefore, the battery 316 is set to be charged even when the photographing technique A is executed.

Further, FIG. 3C shows another example of the setting information (control table) for controlling the operation related to the charging of the battery 316. In the example shown in FIG. 3C, the operation schedule of the imaging unit 300 is defined so that the photographing procedures A, C, and B are sequentially performed in this order. Further, for each of the photographing techniques A, C, and B, the setting information relating to the charging of the battery 316 is defined for each of the cases where the remaining battery level is 80% and 20%.

In FIG. 3C, the photographing technique C is scheduled to be executed in the order 2, and it is difficult to charge the battery 316 when the photographing technique C is executed. However, if 80% of the power is secured as the remaining battery power when the shooting procedure A is executed in the order 1, the power can be secured even when the shooting procedure C is executed in the order 2. Therefore, it is set so that charging is not performed when the photographing technique A is executed.

On the other hand, when the shooting technique A is executed in order 1, if only 20% of the remaining battery power is secured (or less than 20%), the execution of the shooting technique C is started. By the time, it is possible that a sufficient battery level may not be secured. Therefore, in this case, the remaining amount warning is set when the shooting technique A is executed. The remaining amount warning controls the notification of information for prompting the user to replace the battery 316, replace the image pickup unit 300 itself (when it is difficult to replace the battery 316 alone), charge the spare battery 316, and the like. Shown. Regarding the remaining amount warning, for example, by displaying the information on the output device 214 such as a console, the user is notified as illustrated above. Further, as another example, the above-exemplified notification may be performed to the user by lighting or blinking a light emitting device such as an LED, or outputting an electronic sound such as a speaker or an acoustic sound such as a voice.

Further, not only the notification regarding the remaining battery level but also the notification of information (for example, warning) may be performed for other purposes. For example, if it is detected that the connection between the imaging unit 300 and the power unit 212 has not been established even though charging was scheduled to be performed at the time of performing the latest procedure, this can be done. Information may be notified to prompt the user. Specifically, the user may be notified of notification information prompting the user to take measures to establish a connection between the imaging unit 300 and the power unit 212 within a range that does not affect the procedure.
By notifying information (for example, warning) as described above, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which the shooting procedure is interrupted due to difficulty in securing a sufficient remaining battery level. Become.

Next, FIG. 4 will be described. FIG. 4A shows another example of a control table relating to charging parameters according to the imaging technique. The example shown in FIG. 4A is different from the example shown in FIG. 3A in that the setting information related to noise immunity is defined instead of the setting information related to the charging capacity.
Specifically, when the power supply circuit is driven by the execution of charging, voltage noise or magnetic field noise generated by the power supply circuit (particularly the circuit related to charging) may affect the surrounding circuits. The influence of such noise may become apparent in the captured image, for example. As a specific example, the read circuit 313, the power supply for driving the read circuit 313, the GND, and the like are affected by these noises, so that an artifact (for example, linear) is obtained for the image according to the imaging result. The artifact) may become apparent. Further, for example, the control circuit 314, the power supply for driving the control circuit 314, the GND, and the like may be affected by these, and the communication between the image pickup unit 300 and the power unit 212 may be temporarily interrupted. is there.

The noise tolerance value shown in FIG. 4A may be determined in consideration of how often the above-mentioned event can occur and the degree of influence when the event occurs. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4A, for each of the shooting techniques A to D, any one of "0", "small", "medium", and "large" is used as the setting information regarding noise immunity. It is set.

For example, focusing on the interruption of communication, when information that does not require real-time performance is transmitted, even if the interruption of communication occurs, the control circuit 314 detects the interruption of communication and then fails in transmission. It is possible to reduce the effect by resending the data. That is, it can be judged that the noise immunity is large for the photographing technique in which such a condition is allowed. For example, a shooting technique in which "Large" is set as noise immunity corresponds to this case.
Further, under a situation where the reading circuit 313 is operated at a high amplification factor, the influence of noise tends to be easily manifested in the captured image. That is, it can be determined that the noise immunity is small for the photographing technique in which the image is captured under such conditions. For example, a shooting technique in which "small" is set as noise immunity corresponds to this case.
As described above, in FIG. 4A, any one of "small", "medium", and "large" is set as the setting information regarding the noise immunity according to the magnitude of the noise immunity. Further, "0" is set as the noise immunity for the photographing technique in which it is not desirable that noise is generated during imaging.

The control system 200 includes the control table shown in FIG. 4A, the order of the photographing procedures to be executed sequentially (in other words, the operation schedule of the imaging unit 300), and the remaining amount of electric power stored in the battery 316. Based on this, the operation related to the charging of the battery 316 is controlled.

For example, FIG. 4B shows an example of setting information (control table) for controlling the operation related to charging the battery 316. In the example shown in FIG. 4B, the operation schedule of the imaging unit 300 is defined so that the photographing procedures A, D, and C are sequentially performed in this order. Further, for each of the photographing techniques A, D, and C, the setting information relating to the charging of the battery 316 is defined for each of the cases where the remaining battery level is 80% and 20%.

Specifically, in the photographing technique A scheduled to be executed in order 1, "small" is set as the noise immunity in FIG. 4A. That is, although charging is possible during the execution of the photographing technique A, it is desirable to reduce the influence of noise generated by charging as much as possible. On the other hand, in the shooting technique D scheduled to be executed in order 2, "large" is set as the noise immunity in FIG. 4A. That is, during the execution of the photographing procedure D, it is possible to charge the battery 316 by supplying more power supply signals per unit time. Therefore, in FIG. 4B, if 80% of the power remaining in the battery is secured during the execution of the shooting procedure A, the battery 316 can be charged during the execution of the next shooting procedure D. In view of the above, the battery 316 is set not to be charged.

Further, in the photographing technique C scheduled to be executed in the order 3, "0" is set as the noise immunity in FIG. 4A. That is, it is difficult to charge the battery 316 while the photographing technique C is being executed. On the other hand, as described above, in the photographing technique D scheduled to be executed in the order 2, “large” is set as the noise immunity in FIG. 4 (a). Therefore, in FIG. 4B, even when 80% of the power remaining as the battery level is secured when the shooting technique D is executed, a sufficient battery level is secured at the start of the shooting technique C to be executed next. As such, the battery 316 is set to be charged.

On the other hand, when the remaining battery level is only 20% (or less than 20%) at the time when the shooting technique A is executed, by the time the execution of the shooting technique C is started. , It is desirable to secure sufficient battery level. Therefore, the battery 316 is set to be charged even when the photographing technique A is executed. However, for the photographing technique A, since "small" is set as the noise immunity, the current value of the power feeding signal is set to be smaller in order to reduce the influence of noise.

Further, FIG. 4C shows another example of the setting information (control table) for controlling the operation related to the charging of the battery 316. In the example shown in FIG. 4C, the operation schedule of the imaging unit 300 is defined so that the photographing procedures A, C, and B are sequentially performed in this order. Further, for each of the photographing techniques A, C, and B, the setting information relating to the charging of the battery 316 is defined for each of the cases where the remaining battery level is 80% and 20%.

In FIG. 4C, the photographing technique C is scheduled to be executed in the order 2, and it is difficult to charge the battery 316 when the photographing technique C is executed. However, if 80% of the power is secured as the remaining battery power when the shooting procedure A is executed in the order 1, the power can be secured even when the shooting procedure C is executed in the order 2. Therefore, it is set so that charging is not performed when the photographing technique A is executed.

On the other hand, when the shooting technique A is executed in order 1, if only 20% of the remaining battery power is secured (or less than 20%), the execution of the shooting technique C is started. By the time, it is possible that a sufficient battery level may not be secured. Therefore, in this case, the remaining amount warning is set when the shooting technique A is executed. The method of warning the remaining amount is the same as the example shown in FIG.

As described above, the control device 211 has a battery according to the remaining battery level and the operating conditions of the imaging unit 300 (in other words, the operating schedule of the imaging unit 300) according to the shooting technique scheduled to be executed. Controls charging conditions related to charging for 316.

(processing)
An example of the processing of the radiation imaging system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In S101, the control device 211 confirms the remaining battery level of the battery 316 for the image pickup unit 300 based on the communication with the image pickup unit 300. When there are a plurality of image pickup units 300 to be controlled, the control device 211 may check the remaining battery level of the battery 316 for each image pickup unit 300.

In S102, the control device 211 confirms the operation schedule of the imaging unit 300. Specifically, the control device 211 confirms a list of imaging procedures scheduled to be executed using the imaging unit 300 and the order in which each imaging procedure is executed. At this time, the control device 211 may acquire information on the operation schedule of the imaging unit 300 from, for example, the hospital server 400 connected to the hospital network via the hospital network.

In S103, the control device 211 determines the charging method of the battery 316 for the imaging technique scheduled to be executed based on the confirmation result of the remaining battery level in S101 and the confirmation result of the schedule in S102. The criteria (for example, threshold value, etc.) for determining whether or not the control device 211 charges the battery 316 may be updated based on the determination results according to various determination conditions. As a specific example, the above criteria may be updated based on information on the operation history of the imaging unit 300 and the like.

Here, with reference to FIG. 6, an example of information regarding the operation history of the imaging unit 300, which can be used to determine a criterion for determining whether charging is possible or not, will be described. In the example shown in FIG. 6, "procedure A", "procedure B", and "procedure D" are executed in this order as imaging procedures. X indicates the remaining battery level at the start of procedure A. Y indicates the remaining battery level at the end of procedure A. T indicates the period of use of the imaging unit 300 at the time of performing the procedure A.

For example, for the procedure A, the control device 211 acquires information on each of the battery remaining amount X at the start, the usage period T of the imaging unit 300, and the battery remaining amount Y at the end, and is predetermined as the operation history of the procedure A. It is good to store it in the storage area of. By accumulating this information as an operation history, for example, based on the operation history, the amount of electric power stored in the battery 316 at the time of executing the procedure A (for example, the amount of consumption per unit time) is estimated. It is also possible. That is, the control device 211 can determine whether or not to charge the battery 316 based on the estimation result of the amount of power consumed in the battery 316 when the procedure A is executed. Further, at this time, the control device 211 determines the amount of power supplied for charging the battery 316 (for example, related to charging) according to the estimation result of the amount of power consumed in the battery 316 when the procedure A is executed. It is also possible to determine the amount of current of the power supply signal).
The same applies to other imaging techniques such as procedure B and procedure D.

Here, reference is made to FIG. 5 again.
In S104, the control device 211 determines whether or not the battery 316 can be charged according to the determination result of the charging method in S103.
When the control device 211 determines in S104 that the battery 316 can be charged, the control device 211 proceeds to the process in S105. In S105, the control device 211 performs various controls related to charging the battery 316. For example, the control device 211 instructs the power unit 212 to transmit a power supply signal to the imaging unit 300. Further, the control device 211 instructs the image pickup unit 300 to start charging based on the communication with the image pickup unit 300. In response to this instruction, the power supply circuit 315 of the imaging unit 300 charges the battery 316 based on the power supply signal transmitted from the power unit 212. Then, the control device 211 ends the process shown in FIG.
On the other hand, when the control device 211 determines in S104 that the battery 316 cannot be charged, the control device 211 proceeds to the process in S106. That is, in this case, the control device 211 suppresses the operation related to charging the battery 316.

In S106, the control device 211 determines whether or not the imaging technique scheduled to be executed is subject to the remaining amount warning when it is determined that charging is not possible.
When the control device 211 determines in S106 that it is the target of the remaining amount warning, the control device 211 proceeds to the process in S107. In S107, the control device 211 controls so that a predetermined warning is notified via the output device 214. Then, the control device 211 ends the process shown in FIG.
On the other hand, when the control device 211 determines in S106 that it is not the target of the remaining amount warning, the control device 211 skips the process of S107 and ends the process shown in FIG.

As described above, the control device 211 sequentially executes the process shown in FIG. 5 for each photographing technique scheduled to be executed. It should be noted that various determination methods can be applied to the determination of whether or not charging is possible and the determination of whether or not the remaining amount is subject to the warning in the process shown in FIG. As a specific example, as the above-mentioned various determinations, a determination using a threshold value may be applied. Further, as another example, conditional branching processing may be applied to the various determinations described above. Further, as another example, a discriminator constructed based on machine learning represented by, for example, a neural network may be used for the above-mentioned various determinations.

(Example)
As an embodiment of the present embodiment, a specific example of the imaging technique will be given, and then an example of charging parameters for each imaging technique and control related to battery charging for each imaging technique will be described.

First, with reference to FIG. 7, an example of a control table in which the charging parameters related to the charging of the battery 316 and the presence / absence of the remaining amount warning are defined for each photographing technique using the X-ray image will be described. In the example shown in FIG. 7, for each imaging technique using an X-ray image, the charging parameters (in other words, charging conditions) are "charging opportunity", "charging current upper limit", "charging current variable", and "charging capacity". , And setting information about "battery consumption" is specified.
The charging opportunity is setting information indicating how long the charging is possible during the execution of the procedure. In other words, the charging opportunity indicates the chargeable period per unit time.
The charging current upper limit is setting information indicating whether or not to regulate the upper limit of the current related to charging during the execution of the procedure, and the upper limit of the current amount when the regulation is performed.
The variable charging current is setting information indicating whether or not to allow a change in the current related to charging during the execution of the procedure.
Battery consumption is setting information indicating whether or not the power stored in the battery is consumed during the execution of the procedure. In other words, battery consumption is setting information that indicates whether or not to use the battery as a source of power during the execution of the procedure.
Since the charging capacity and the remaining amount warning are the same as those shown in FIG. 3, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

For example, in the imaging technique shown as "general photography in an X-ray room (standing / in a table)", an imaging unit 300 is installed on a fixture such as a table in the X-ray room, and a power supply cable is used for the imaging unit 300. The X-ray image is captured with the power unit 212 connected. That is, in this photographing technique, it is possible to drive the image pickup unit 300 based on the power supply signal supplied from the power unit 212 via the power supply cable. Therefore, "none" is set as the battery consumption. On the other hand, since it is not always possible to charge the battery 316 during the execution of this photographing technique, "medium" is set as a charging opportunity. In addition, since a still image is captured in this shooting technique, it is not easily affected by heat and noise generated by charging. Therefore, "Large" is set as the upper limit of the charging current, and "Yes" is set as the variable charging current.

In addition, the shooting technique shown as "movie shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)" is based on the point that an X-ray image is taken with the image pickup unit 300 installed on the fixture. It is the same as the shooting technique shown as "rank / in the table)". On the other hand, the shooting technique shown as "movie shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)" requires real-time communication, and the captured image tends to be easily affected by noise. Therefore, the X-ray image (moving image) During imaging, charging of the battery 316 is suppressed depending on the situation. Therefore, "small" is set as a charging opportunity. Further, in order to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which the influence of the temperature fluctuation of the power supply circuit 315 that controls the charging of the battery 316 affects the image quality of the captured image, "None" is set as the variable charging current. Further, since the X-ray image is captured in a state where the power unit 212 is connected to the image pickup unit 300 via the power supply cable, “none” is set as the battery consumption.

In the imaging techniques shown as "X-ray indoor general radiography (portable)" and "X-ray outdoor general radiography", an X-ray image is captured in a state where the power unit 212 is not connected to the imaging unit 300. That is, during the execution of these photographing procedures, the battery 316 is used as a power source for driving the imaging unit 300. Therefore, "minimal" is set as the charging capacity, and "yes" is set as the battery consumption.
Further, in the shooting technique shown as "X-ray outdoor general shooting", a situation may be assumed in which it becomes difficult to replace or charge the battery 316, so "Yes" is set as a remaining amount warning.

Further, in the example shown in FIG. 7, "standby (no order)" is specified. This is a period during which the shooting procedure is not scheduled to be performed, assuming that there is a certain period of time between the procedures or that hospital operations are temporarily suspended, such as during lunch breaks. It is set to specify the setting information in. Since the X-ray image is not captured during the standby mode, each setting information is specified so that the charging time is shorter.

Next, with reference to FIG. 8, a specific example of control relating to charging of the battery 316 based on the control table shown in FIG. 7 will be described.

In both FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b), the execution of the shooting procedure is scheduled in the order of "movie shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)", "standby (no order)", and "X-ray outdoor general shooting". ing. On the other hand, in FIG. 8A, the remaining battery level at the start of "movie shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)" is 80%, whereas in FIG. 8B, the remaining battery level is 80%. It is 25%.

In the example shown in FIG. 8A, a sufficient battery level is secured at the start of "movie shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)", and after "movie shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)" is executed, " Waiting (no order) "is scheduled. Therefore, in this case, the control device 211 suppresses the charging of the battery 316 by setting the charging current to "0" when the "moving image shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)" is executed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the generation of heat generation and noise due to the charging of the battery 316, and to suppress the appearance of artifacts in the X-ray image due to the temperature fluctuation of the imaging unit 300 and the influence of the noise.

On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 8B, even if the battery 316 is charged in the "standby (no order)" after the execution of the "movie shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)", the "X-ray outdoor general" It is expected that it will be difficult to secure sufficient battery level to perform "shooting". Therefore, in this case, the control device 211 controls so that the battery 316 is charged within an allowable range when "moving image shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)" is executed. Specifically, the control device 211 controls the battery 316 to be charged by the "fixed current" after setting the charging current to "small" based on the control table shown in FIG. 7.

In the example shown in FIG. 8 (c), the execution of the radiography procedure is scheduled in the order of "X-ray indoor general radiography (portable)", "standby (no order)", and "X-ray outdoor general radiography", and "X". The remaining battery level at the start of "general radiography (portable) in the line room" is 25%.
In this case, in the "X-ray indoor general photography (portable)", the image pickup unit 300 operates based on the power supply from the battery 316, so that the remaining battery level is exhausted during the execution of the "X-ray indoor general photography (portable)". However, it is expected that it will be difficult to drive the imaging unit 300. Therefore, in this case, the control device 211 prompts the user to replace or charge the battery 316 by issuing a remaining amount warning at the start of "X-ray indoor general photography (portable)".

FIG. 8D shows an example of control related to charging of the battery 316 when the execution of "moving image shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)" is scheduled. In the example shown in FIG. 8D, the execution of the shooting procedure is scheduled in the order of "X-ray indoor general shooting (portable)", "standby (no order)", and "movie shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)". .. In addition, the remaining battery level at the start of "X-ray indoor general photography (portable)" is 40%.
In "movie shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)", imaging is performed in a state where the X-ray dose per short time is suppressed so as to be smaller, so that the imaging unit is compared with the imaging technique in which a still image is captured. The influence of the temperature fluctuation inside the 300 tends to be easily manifested in the X-ray image. Therefore, when the imaging of the X-ray image is started with the power supply circuit 315 and the battery 316 generating heat as the battery 316 is charged, an artifact due to the temperature fluctuation in the imaging unit 300 becomes apparent in the X-ray image. There is. Specifically, the temperature of the circuit that has been generating heat after the start of imaging decreases, causing temperature fluctuations, and artifacts become apparent in the region corresponding to the circuit in which the temperature fluctuations occur in the X-ray image. In order to avoid the occurrence of such a phenomenon, in the example shown in FIG. 8D, charging is stopped in the middle during the "standby (no order)" period. As a result, the temperature inside the image pickup unit 300 is stabilized from the time when charging is stopped until the start of "movie shooting (perspective / continuous shooting)", and the influence on the X-ray image due to the temperature fluctuation in the image pickup unit 300 becomes apparent. It is possible to suppress the conversion.

(Modification example)
A modified example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this modified example, an example in which a plurality of imaging units are connected to one control system will be described. The control system according to this modification may be referred to as "control system 200'" in order to distinguish it from the control system according to the above-described embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the imaging units 300a to 300c are connected to the control system 200'. Further, 316a, 316b, and 316c indicate batteries 316 of the imaging units 300a, 300b, and 300c, respectively.

The control system 200'confirms the remaining battery level of each of the imaging units 300a to 300c by establishing communication with each of the imaging units 300a to 300c and acquiring information. Further, the control system 200'acquires information on the operation schedule of each of the imaging units 300a to 300c from the hospital server 400 via the hospital network. The control system 200'generates a charging schedule for charging the respective batteries 316 based on the remaining battery level and the operation schedule for each of the imaging units 300a to 300c. Charging schedules D1, D2, and D3 indicate charging schedules generated by the control system 200'for each of the imaging units 300a, 300b, and 300c.

In this case, the control system 200'controls the operation related to the charging of the batteries 316 of the imaging units 300a to 300c based on the corresponding charging schedule. As a specific example, the control system 200'controls the operation of the imaging unit 300a so that the amount of current related to charging the battery 316a of the imaging unit 300a is controlled according to the charging schedule D1. Similarly, the control system 200'controls the operation related to charging the battery 316b of the imaging unit 300b based on the charging schedule D2, and controls the operation related to charging the battery 316c of the imaging unit 300c based on the charging schedule D3. ..

The power consumption and noise immunity may differ depending on the type and size of the imaging unit 300. In such a case, the control system 200'may set a correction value according to the imaging unit 300, and apply the correction value to the generation of the charging schedule and the control of the charging of the battery 316.

Further, the control system 200'may hold the generated charging schedule only during the period in which communication with the imaging unit 300 corresponding to the charging schedule is established. In this case, when the control system 200'detects a disconnection of communication with the imaging unit 300, the charging schedule generated for the imaging unit 300 may be discarded.

Further, when the battery 316 is removed from the image pickup unit 300 while the image pickup unit 300 is connected to the power unit 212 via the power supply cable, the battery 316 connected to the image pickup unit 300 after that is removed. , There is a possibility that the battery is 316 after replacement. In such a case, the control system 200'may check the remaining battery level of the imaging unit 300 again.

<Other Embodiments>
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or recording medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

Further, the system configuration and the hardware configuration described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are merely examples, and do not limit the system configuration of the radiation imaging system 1 and the hardware configuration of the control device 211. That is, a part of the configuration may be changed as appropriate without departing from the technical idea of the present disclosure.
As a specific example, each configuration included in the control system 200 may be realized as one device.
Further, as another example, a plurality of control systems 200 may be connected to one imaging unit 300. In this case, the imaging unit 300 may receive instructions from each of the plurality of control systems 200, or may receive instructions from some of the control systems 200 specified by authentication or the like. Further, the imaging unit 300 may transmit image data of a radiation image according to the imaging result to each of the plurality of control systems 200, or to some control systems 200 specified by authentication or the like. You may send it.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the technique according to the present invention is applied to a radiation imaging system has been described, but the application destination of the technique according to the present invention is not necessarily limited. Specifically, if an imaging unit that can be driven based on power supply from the internal power supply means and can be charged to the internal power supply means can be applied, the technique according to the present invention can be applied. It is possible. For example, it is also possible to apply the technique according to the present invention to a medical imaging system including a medical imaging device such as an endoscope device and a microscope device. Further, in CT (Computed Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), etc., when a battery-powered configuration is included, the technique according to the present invention can be applied to the control of the configuration. Is.

1 Radiation imaging system 100 Radiation generator 211 Control device 212 Power unit 300 Imaging unit 316 Battery

Claims (15)

It is configured to be operable based on the power supply from the internal power supply means that is configured to be rechargeable, and the imaging means that images the subject
A control means for controlling the supply of electric power related to charging of the internal power supply means according to the amount of electric power stored in the internal power supply means and the operation schedule of the image pickup means.
A medical imaging system equipped with. The medical imaging according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the supply of electric power related to the charging of the internal power feeding means according to the operating conditions related to the imaging of the subject scheduled based on the operation schedule. system. The medical imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the operating conditions are set according to a procedure using the imaging result of the subject scheduled based on the operating schedule. Any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control means controls charging conditions related to charging of the internal power supply means according to the amount of electric power stored in the internal power supply means and the operation schedule of the image pickup means. The medical imaging system according to item 1. The charging conditions are
Rechargeable period per unit time and
The upper limit of the current related to charging and
Whether to supply fixed or variable current for charging,
Whether or not to operate the imaging means based on the electric power stored in the internal power feeding means.
Including conditions for at least one of
The medical imaging system according to claim 4. The control means
If a still image is scheduled to be captured, as the charging condition,
The supply of current related to charging is variable,
Set the upper limit of the charging current to be higher than when moving images are scheduled to be captured.
The medical imaging system according to claim 5. The control means
If a moving image is scheduled to be taken, as the charging condition,
The supply of current related to charging is fixed,
Set the upper limit of the charging current to be lower than when moving images are scheduled to be captured.
The medical imaging system according to claim 5. The medical imaging system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control means acquires information on the operation schedule from another device via a network. The medical imaging system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control means determines the amount of power supplied for charging the internal power feeding means according to the operation history of the imaging means. When the moving image is scheduled to be captured, the control means suppresses the supply of electric power related to the charging of the internal power feeding means before the imaging of the moving image is started, claims 1 to 9. The medical imaging system according to any one of the above. The medical imaging system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control means causes the notification means to notify the notification information when the supply of electric power related to the charging of the internal power supply means is suppressed. The medical imaging system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the imaging means images the subject by detecting radiation that has been exposed from a radiation generator and has passed through the subject. It is a control method for medical imaging systems.
It is configured to be operable based on the power supply from the internal power supply means configured to be rechargeable, and has an imaging step for imaging the subject and an imaging step.
A control step for controlling the supply of electric power related to charging of the internal power supply means according to the amount of electric power stored in the internal power supply means and the schedule related to the imaging.
A method of controlling a medical imaging system, including. It is configured to be operable based on the supply of electric power from the internal power supply means configured to be rechargeable, and the amount of electric power stored in the internal power supply means of the imaging means for imaging the subject and the operation schedule of the imaging means. A control device including a control means for controlling the supply of electric power related to the charging of the internal power supply means. A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the control device according to claim 14.

Images