JP2024068927A - Control method for ultrasonic diagnostic system and ultrasonic diagnostic system - Google Patents

Abstract

An ultrasound diagnostic system and a control method for an ultrasound diagnostic system are provided that allow a user to easily grasp the position of the large intestine in a subject.
[Solution] The ultrasound diagnostic system includes an ultrasound probe (1), a probe position detection unit (3) that detects the position of the ultrasound probe (1), an image acquisition unit (31) that acquires an ultrasound image of the subject by scanning the ultrasound probe (1), a large intestine detection unit (24) that detects the subject's large intestine from the ultrasound image using a machine learning model, a schematic diagram creation unit (25) that creates a schematic diagram of the large intestine based on the position of the ultrasound probe (1) detected by the probe position detection unit (3) when the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit (24), a display device (23), and a display control unit (22) that displays the schematic diagram created by the schematic diagram creation unit (25) on the display device (23).
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic system used to examine the large intestine of a subject, and to an ultrasound diagnostic system.

Conventionally, so-called ultrasound diagnostic systems are used to acquire ultrasound images showing cross sections within a subject, and users such as doctors examine the subject based on the acquired ultrasound images. In an examination using such an ultrasound diagnostic system, a user may take an ultrasound image by contacting a so-called ultrasound probe with the body surface of the subject and using the ultrasound probe to transmit an ultrasound beam into the subject and receive ultrasound echoes from within the subject.

In such cases, the user usually needs to adjust the position of the ultrasound probe so that the part to be observed appears in the ultrasound image. Therefore, technology described in Patent Document 1, for example, has been developed to enable the user to easily adjust the position of the ultrasound probe. Patent Document 1 discloses detecting the part of the subject that appears in the ultrasound image, calculating a score of the current measurement position relative to the optimal position of the ultrasound probe for imaging the detected part, and displaying the score to the user. The user adjusts the position of the ultrasound probe while referring to the displayed score.

International Publication No. 2022/044391

By the way, examinations of stool in the large intestine may be performed by scanning the large intestine of a subject using an ultrasound diagnostic system. Typically, a user will often use an ultrasound probe to scan from a position close to the cecum to the position of the rectum in order to grasp the position and characteristics of the stool in the large intestine. In this case, it is preferable for the user to grasp the position of the large intestine in the subject, but since the large intestine is generally a long organ and its length varies from person to person, there are cases where the user cannot easily grasp the position of the large intestine in the subject. Even with the technology of Patent Document 1, it is not easy for the user to grasp the position of the large intestine, such as the entire large intestine, the rectum, and the colon.

The present invention has been made to solve these conventional problems, and aims to provide an ultrasound diagnostic system and a control method for an ultrasound diagnostic system that allows a user to easily grasp the position of the large intestine in a subject.

The above object can be achieved by the following configuration.
[1] An ultrasonic probe;
a probe position detector for detecting the position of an ultrasonic probe;
an image acquisition unit that acquires an ultrasonic image of a subject by scanning an ultrasonic probe;
a large intestine detection unit that detects the large intestine of a subject from an ultrasound image using a machine learning model;
a schematic diagram creating unit that creates a schematic diagram of the large intestine based on the position of the ultrasound probe detected by the probe position detecting unit when the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detecting unit;
A display device;
and a display control unit that displays the schematic diagram created by the schematic diagram creation unit on a display device.
[2] The ultrasound diagnostic system according to [1], wherein the display device is any one of a monitor, a head mounted display, and a projector mapping device.
[3] The ultrasound diagnostic system according to [1] or [2], wherein the display control unit displays, on the display device, a schematic diagram created by the schematic diagram creation unit during a previous examination of the subject in addition to the schematic diagram created by the schematic diagram creation unit.
[4] The ultrasound diagnostic system according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the schematic diagram creation unit creates a three-dimensional schematic diagram.
[5] The ultrasound diagnostic system according to any one of [1] to [4], further comprising an unscanned area display unit that displays an area of the large intestine that has not been scanned by the ultrasound probe based on the position of the ultrasound probe detected by the probe position detection unit when the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit.
[6] A part designation unit is provided for designating a part of the schematic diagram based on an instruction from a user;
An ultrasound diagnostic system according to any one of claims [1] to [5], wherein the display control unit displays, on a display device, an ultrasound image acquired by the image acquisition unit and corresponding to an arbitrary location designated by the arbitrary location designation unit.
[7] The ultrasound diagnostic system according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the schematic diagram creation unit creates a schematic diagram of either the entire large intestine, the rectum, or the colon.
[8] a stool detection unit that detects stool in the large intestine from an ultrasound image;
A stool property determination unit is provided for determining the property of the stool detected by the stool detection unit,
An ultrasound diagnostic system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the display control unit displays on the display device the stool characteristics determined by the stool characteristics determination unit along with the schematic diagram created by the schematic diagram creation unit.
[9] A control method for an ultrasound diagnostic system including an ultrasound probe, a probe position detection unit, an image acquisition unit, a large intestine detection unit, a schematic diagram creation unit, a display device, and a display control unit, comprising:
The probe position detector detects the position of the ultrasonic probe;
causing the image acquisition unit to acquire an ultrasonic image of the subject by scanning the ultrasonic probe;
a large intestine detection unit that detects the large intestine of the subject from the ultrasound image using a machine learning model;
causing a schematic diagram creation unit to create a schematic diagram of the large intestine based on the position of the ultrasound probe detected when the large intestine is detected;
A method for controlling an ultrasound diagnostic system, comprising: causing a display control unit to display the created schematic diagram on a display device.

According to the present invention, the ultrasound diagnostic system includes an ultrasound probe, a probe position detection unit that detects the position of the ultrasound probe, an image acquisition unit that acquires an ultrasound image of the subject by scanning the ultrasound probe, a large intestine detection unit that detects the subject's large intestine from the ultrasound image using a machine learning model, a schematic diagram creation unit that creates a schematic diagram of the large intestine based on the position of the ultrasound probe detected by the probe position detection unit when the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit, a display device, and a display control unit that displays the schematic diagram created by the schematic diagram creation unit on the display device, so that the user can easily grasp the position of the large intestine in the subject.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a transmission/reception circuit according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image generating unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic diagram of the large intestine. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to a first modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to a second modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of an unscanned area. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another display example of an unscanned area. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of displaying the position of stool and the properties of stool. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a distance measuring device in a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The following description of the components will be given based on a representative embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment.
In this specification, a numerical range expressed using "to" means a range that includes the numerical values before and after "to" as the lower and upper limits.
In this specification, the terms "same" and "identical" include a generally acceptable margin of error in the technical field.

First embodiment
1 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasound diagnostic system includes an ultrasound probe 1, a device main body 2 connected to the ultrasound probe 1, and a position sensor 3 attached to the ultrasound probe 1.

In the present invention, the ultrasound diagnostic system is used to examine the large intestine of a subject. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, an ultrasound image of the large intestine refers to an ultrasound image of the short axis of the large intestine. A short axis image of the large intestine refers to an image showing a cross section of the large intestine that is approximately perpendicular to the running direction of the large intestine.

The ultrasound probe 1 has a transducer array 11. A transmission/reception circuit 12 is connected to the transducer array 11.

The device main body 2 has an image generating unit 21 connected to the transmission/reception circuit 12 of the ultrasound probe 1. A display control unit 22 and a monitor 23 are connected to the image generating unit 21, in turn. A large intestine detection unit 24 is also connected to the image generating unit 21. A schematic diagram creation unit 25 is connected to the position sensor 3 and the large intestine detection unit 24. The schematic diagram creation unit 25 is connected to the display control unit 22. A main body control unit 26 is also connected to the transmission/reception circuit 12, image generating unit 21, display control unit 22, large intestine detection unit 24, and schematic diagram creation unit 25. An input device 27 is connected to the main body control unit 26.

The transmission/reception circuit 12 and the image generation unit 21 constitute the image acquisition unit 31. The image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25, and the main body control unit 26 constitute the processor 32 for the device main body 2.

The transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally. Each of these ultrasonic transducers transmits ultrasonic waves according to a drive signal supplied from the transmission/reception circuit 12, receives ultrasonic echoes from the subject, and outputs a signal based on the ultrasonic echoes. Each ultrasonic transducer is constructed by forming electrodes on both ends of a piezoelectric body made of, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic such as PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate), a polymeric piezoelectric element such as PVDF (Poly Vinylidene Di Fluoride), or a piezoelectric single crystal such as PMN-PT (Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate).

Under the control of the main body control unit 26, the transmission/reception circuit 12 transmits ultrasonic waves from the transducer array 11 and generates sound ray signals based on the reception signals acquired by the transducer array 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the transmission/reception circuit 12 has a pulser 41 connected to the transducer array 11, an amplifier 42, an AD (Analog to Digital) converter 43, and a beamformer 44 that are connected in series from the transducer array 11.

The pulser 41 includes, for example, multiple pulse generators, and adjusts the delay amount of each drive signal and supplies it to the multiple ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11 based on a transmission delay pattern selected in response to a control signal from the main body control unit 26 so that the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the multiple ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11 form an ultrasonic beam. In this way, when a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array 11, the piezoelectric body expands and contracts, and pulsed or continuous wave ultrasonic waves are generated from each ultrasonic transducer, and an ultrasonic beam is formed from the composite wave of these ultrasonic waves.

The transmitted ultrasonic beam is reflected by an object, such as a part of the subject, and propagates toward the transducer array 11 of the ultrasonic probe 1. The ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 11 in this manner is received by each ultrasonic transducer that constitutes the transducer array 11. At this time, each ultrasonic transducer that constitutes the transducer array 11 expands and contracts upon receiving the propagating ultrasonic echo, generating a received signal, which is an electrical signal, and outputs these received signals to the amplifier unit 42.

The amplifier 42 amplifies the signals input from each ultrasonic transducer that constitutes the transducer array 11 and transmits the amplified signals to the AD converter 43. The AD converter 43 converts the signals transmitted from the amplifier 42 into digital reception data. The beamformer 44 performs so-called reception focusing processing by delaying and adding each piece of reception data received from the AD converter 43. This reception focusing processing causes each piece of reception data converted by the AD converter 43 to be phased and added, and a sound ray signal with a narrowed focus of the ultrasonic echo is acquired.

As shown in FIG. 3, the image generating unit 21 has a configuration in which a signal processing unit 45, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 46, and an image processing unit 47 are connected in series.

The signal processing unit 45 performs correction for attenuation due to distance on the sound ray signals received from the transmission/reception circuit 12 using the sound velocity value set by the main body control unit 26 according to the depth of the ultrasonic reflection position, and then performs envelope detection processing to generate a B-mode image signal, which is tomographic image information on the tissue within the subject.

The DSC 46 converts (raster converts) the B-mode image signal generated by the signal processor 45 into an image signal conforming to the scanning method of a normal television signal.
The image processing unit 47 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing on the B-mode image signal input from the DSC 46, and then sends the B-mode image signal to the display control unit 22 and the large intestine detection unit 24. Hereinafter, the B-mode image signal that has been subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 47 will be referred to as an ultrasound image.

The main body control unit 26 controls each part of the device main body 2 and the ultrasonic probe 1 according to a prerecorded program or the like.
The input device 29 receives input operations by the examiner and transmits the input information to the main body control unit 26. The input device 29 is composed of devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touch pad, and a touch panel for the examiner to perform input operations.

The position sensor 3 attached to the ultrasonic probe 1 is a sensor that detects the position of the ultrasonic probe 1. The position sensor 3 can, for example, detect the position of the ultrasonic probe 1 as a relative coordinate from a reference position, using a fixed position as a reference. As the position sensor 3, for example, a so-called magnetic sensor, acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, geomagnetic sensor, etc. can be used. Information on the position of the ultrasonic probe 1 detected by the position sensor 3 is transmitted to the schematic diagram creation unit 25.

The large intestine detection unit 24 detects the large intestine of the subject by analyzing the ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit 21. The large intestine detection unit 24 can detect the large intestine from the ultrasound image, for example, by using a so-called machine learning model that has been trained using a large number of ultrasound images showing the large intestine of the subject. The large intestine detection unit 24 can also detect the large intestine by a so-called template matching method, for example, by pre-storing multiple template images related to the large intestine shown in the ultrasound image and searching the ultrasound image using the multiple template images.

When the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25 creates a schematic diagram P representing the overall position of the subject's large intestine, for example as shown in FIG. 4, based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the position sensor 3. In the example of FIG. 4, the schematic diagram P of the large intestine is superimposed on a schematic diagram M of the subject's abdomen.

The schematic diagram creation unit 25 has a machine learning model that has learned the relationship between position data in the abdomen of many subjects and the overall position of the large intestine of those subjects, and can create a schematic diagram P representing the overall position of the subject's large intestine by inputting the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the position sensor 3 into this machine learning model. Note that the schematic diagram creation unit 25 can also create a schematic diagram P of a part of the large intestine, such as the rectum or colon, instead of the schematic diagram P of the subject's entire large intestine.

Under the control of the main body control unit 26, the display control unit 22 performs predetermined processing on the ultrasound images etc. generated by the image generation unit 21 and displays them on the monitor 23. The display control unit 22 also displays a schematic diagram P of the large intestine created by the schematic diagram creation unit 25 on the monitor 23. The large intestine is generally a long organ, and its length varies from subject to subject. However, by checking the schematic diagram P of the large intestine displayed on the monitor 23, a user of the ultrasound diagnostic system can easily grasp the position of the large intestine in the subject.

The monitor 23 performs various displays under the control of the display control unit 22. The monitor 23 may include a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electroluminescence Display).

The processor 32 having the image generating unit 21, the display control unit 22, the large intestine detecting unit 24, the schematic diagram creating unit 25 and the main body control unit 26 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a control program for causing the CPU to perform various processes, but may also be composed of an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or other ICs (Integrated Circuits), or a combination of these.

In addition, the image generating unit 21, the display control unit 22, the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25 and the main body control unit 26 of the processor 32 can be configured as being partially or entirely integrated into a single CPU or the like.

Next, an example of the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 1 will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 5.

First, in step S1, the user places the ultrasound probe 1 on the abdomen of the subject, and the position sensor 3 detects the position of the ultrasound probe 1. The position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected here is sent to the schematic diagram creation unit 25.

Next, in step S2, an ultrasound image is acquired by the image acquisition unit 31. At this time, an ultrasound beam is transmitted into the subject by the transducer array 11 of the ultrasound probe 1, and an ultrasound echo is received from the subject, generating a reception signal. The transmission/reception circuit 12 of the image acquisition unit 31 performs so-called reception focus processing on the reception signal under the control of the main body control unit 26 to generate a sound ray signal. The sound ray signal generated by the transmission/reception circuit 12 is sent to the image generation unit 21. The image generation unit 21 generates an ultrasound image using the sound ray signal sent from the transmission/reception circuit 12. The ultrasound image generated here is sent to the display control unit 22 and displayed on the monitor 23. The ultrasound image is also sent to the large intestine detection unit 24.

In step S3, the large intestine detection unit 24 executes a process of detecting the large intestine of the subject shown in the ultrasound image by analyzing the ultrasound image generated in step S2. At this time, the large intestine detection unit 24 can detect the large intestine using a machine learning model that has learned from ultrasound images showing the large intestines of many subjects. The large intestine detection unit 24 can also detect the large intestine using a known method such as template matching.

In step S4, the main body control unit 26 determines whether or not the large intestine was detected in step S3. For example, if the large intestine was detected in step S3, the large intestine detection unit 24 sends information to the main body control unit 26 that the large intestine was detected, and the main body control unit 26 can determine that the large intestine was detected based on this information. For example, if the large intestine was not detected in step S3, the large intestine detection unit 24 sends information to the main body control unit 26 that the large intestine was not detected, and the main body control unit 26 can determine that the large intestine was not detected based on this information.

If it is determined in step S4 that the large intestine has not been detected, the process returns to step S1, and the position sensor 3 detects the position of the ultrasound probe 1. In the following step S2, a new ultrasound image is acquired by the image acquisition unit 31, and in step S3, the large intestine detection unit 24 executes a process to detect the large intestine. In this manner, the processes of steps S1 to S4 are repeated as long as it is determined in step S4 that the large intestine has not been detected.

If it is determined in step S4 that the large intestine has been detected, the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the schematic diagram creation unit 25 creates a schematic diagram P of the large intestine representing the overall position of the subject's large intestine as shown in FIG. 4, based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected in step S1. The schematic diagram creation unit 25 has a machine learning model that has learned the relationship between the position data in the abdomen of a large number of subjects and the overall positions of their large intestines, and can create a schematic diagram P representing the overall position of the subject's large intestine by inputting the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the position sensor 3 into this machine learning model.

In step S6, the display control unit 22 displays the schematic diagram P of the large intestine created in step S5 on the monitor 23. By checking the schematic diagram P of the large intestine displayed on the monitor 23, the user can easily grasp the overall position of the subject's large intestine.

In step S7, the image acquisition unit 31 acquires an ultrasound image in the same manner as in step S2.

In step S8, the main body control unit 26 determines whether or not to end the test currently being performed. The main body control unit 26 can determine to end the test, for example, when an instruction to end the test is input by the user via the input device 27. The main body control unit 26 can also determine to continue the test, for example, when an instruction to end the test is not specifically input by the user via the input device 27.

If it is determined in step S8 that the examination should continue, the process returns to step S7 and an ultrasound image is generated. In this manner, as long as it is determined in step S8 that the examination should continue, the processes of steps S7 and S8 are repeated. In the repetition of steps S7 and S8, the user can easily grasp the part of the large intestine currently being scanned and smoothly perform the examination by checking the schematic diagram P of the large intestine displayed on the monitor 23 in step S6.

When it is determined in step S8 that the examination is to be ended, the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic system according to the flowchart in Figure 5 is completed.

As described above, according to the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 1, the position sensor 3 detects the position of the ultrasound probe 1, the large intestine detection unit 24 detects the subject's large intestine from the ultrasound image acquired by the image acquisition unit 31, and when the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25 creates a schematic diagram P of the large intestine based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the position sensor 3, and the display control unit 22 displays the schematic diagram P of the large intestine on the monitor 23, so that the user can easily grasp the position of the large intestine in the subject while performing the examination.

Although the transmitting/receiving circuit 12 is described as being provided in the ultrasonic probe 1 , the transmitting/receiving circuit 12 may be provided in the device main body 2 .
Further, although the image generating unit 21 is described as being provided in the device main body 2, the image generating unit 21 may be provided in the ultrasound probe 1.

The device main body 2 may be a so-called stationary type, a portable type that is easy to carry, or a so-called handheld type that is configured, for example, by a smartphone or tablet computer. In this way, the type of device that configures the device main body 2 is not particularly limited.

In addition, the main body control unit 26 can store the examination results, such as findings, input by the user via the input device 27 during the large intestine examination in a memory (not shown) in correspondence with any position on the schematic diagram P.

In this case, the display control unit 22 can also display on the monitor 23 the schematic diagram P created by the schematic diagram creation unit 25 in the previous examination of the subject, together with the schematic diagram P created by the schematic diagram creation unit 25 in the current examination. At this time, the display control unit 22 can, for example, display the current schematic diagram P and the previous schematic diagram P side by side on the monitor 23, and can also display the current schematic diagram P overlaid on the previous schematic diagram P. This allows the user to perform the current examination with high accuracy while checking the results of the previous examination.

The schematic diagram creation unit 25 can also create a three-dimensional schematic diagram P of the large intestine, for example, using a machine learning model that has learned the relationship between position data in the abdomen of a large number of subjects and the three-dimensional position of the subjects' large intestines. The user can more accurately grasp the position of the large intestine by checking the three-dimensional schematic diagram of the large intestine displayed on the monitor 23 by the display control unit 22.

In addition, while the device body 2 has been described as being equipped with a monitor 23 as a display device that displays a schematic diagram P of the large intestine, the ultrasound diagnostic system can also be equipped with an external monitor that is connected to the device body 2 via, for example, a server (not shown) and installed in a remote location. In this case, a user performing an examination on a subject can perform the examination with high accuracy by receiving examination advice from, for example, a doctor or the like who is viewing the external monitor in the user's remote location.

The ultrasound diagnostic system may also include a so-called head-mounted display 51 as a display device that displays a schematic diagram P of the large intestine, as shown in FIG. 6, for example. In this case, the display control unit 22 displays the schematic diagram P of the large intestine of the subject created by the schematic diagram creation unit 25 on the head-mounted display 51. The user can check the schematic diagram P of the large intestine displayed on the head-mounted display 51 while directing his or her gaze toward the subject with whom the ultrasound probe 1 is in contact, so that the examination can be performed more smoothly. In the example of FIG. 6, the ultrasound diagnostic system is provided with a head-mounted display 51 instead of the device main body 2A having the monitor 23, but the device main body 2A may also have the monitor 23. The head-mounted display 51 is not particularly limited in shape and display format, as long as it is worn on the user's head and has a display close to the user's eyes.

The ultrasound diagnostic system may also include a so-called project mapping device 52 as a display device that displays a schematic diagram P of the large intestine, as shown in FIG. 7 for example. In this case, the display control unit 22 can project the schematic diagram P of the large intestine created by the schematic diagram creation unit 25 onto the subject's abdomen using the project mapping device 52. By checking the schematic diagram P projected onto the subject's abdomen, the user can more accurately grasp the position of the subject's large intestine.

Embodiment 2
The ultrasound diagnostic system can also display unscanned areas of the subject's colon on the monitor 23 so that the user can clearly see the portion of the colon that is about to be scanned.

Figure 8 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 2. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 2 includes a device body 2B instead of the device body 2 in the ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1. The device body 2B further includes an unscanned area display unit 53 in the device body 2 in embodiment 1, and includes a body control unit 26B instead of the body control unit 26.

In the device body 2B, the unscanned area display unit 53 is connected to the position sensor 3 and the body control unit 26B. The unscanned area display unit 53 is connected to the display control unit 22. The image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25, the body control unit 26B, and the unscanned area display unit 53 constitute a processor 32B for the device body 2B.

When the large intestine of the subject is detected by the large intestine detection unit 24, the unscanned area display unit 53 displays an unscanned area R1 of the large intestine by the ultrasound probe 1, for example as shown in FIG. 9, based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the position sensor 3. By checking the unscanned area R1 displayed on the monitor 23, the user can accurately scan the large intestine while clearly understanding which areas of the large intestine shown in the schematic diagram P have already been scanned and which areas are to be scanned.

The operation of the ultrasound diagnostic system of the second embodiment will now be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 10. The flowchart in FIG. 10 includes steps S9 to S12 instead of steps S7 and S8 in the flowchart of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

Steps S1 to S6 in the flowchart of FIG. 10 are the same as steps S1 to S6 in the flowchart of FIG. 5, so their explanation is omitted.

In step S9, similar to step S1, the user places the ultrasound probe 1 on the subject's abdomen, and the position sensor 3 detects the position of the ultrasound probe 1.

In step S10, an ultrasound image is acquired by the image acquisition unit 31 in the same manner as in step S2.

In step S11, similar to step S3, the large intestine detection unit 24 performs a process of detecting the large intestine of the subject shown in the ultrasound image by analyzing the ultrasound image generated in step S2.

In step S12, the unscanned area display unit 53 displays an unscanned area R1 of the large intestine by the ultrasound probe 1, for example as shown in FIG. 9, based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the position sensor 3 in step S9. By checking the unscanned area R1 displayed on the monitor 23, the user can accurately scan the large intestine while clearly understanding which areas of the large intestine shown in the schematic diagram P have already been scanned and which areas are to be scanned.

Finally, in step S13, the main body control unit 26 judges whether or not to end the examination currently being performed, in the same manner as in step S8 in the flowchart of Fig. 5. As long as it is judged in step S8 that the examination should be continued, the processes of steps S9 to S13 are repeated. At this time, every time the large intestine is detected in step S11, the unscanned region R1 displayed on the monitor 23 in step S12 is updated so as to correspond to the position of the large intestine that has actually been detected. When it is judged in step S13 that the examination should be ended, the operation of the ultrasound diagnostic system according to the flowchart of Fig. 10 is completed.

As described above, according to the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 2, the unscanned area display unit 53 displays the unscanned area R1 of the large intestine by the ultrasound probe 1 on the monitor 23 based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the position sensor 3, so that the user can accurately scan the large intestine by checking the unscanned area R1 displayed on the monitor 23 while clearly grasping the areas of the large intestine shown in the schematic diagram P that have already been scanned and the areas to be scanned.

The unscanned region display unit 53 can also display the unscanned region R1 on the monitor 23 by changing the display mode of the scanned region R2, which is the region that has already been scanned by the ultrasound probe 1 in the schematic diagram P of the large intestine, as shown in FIG. 11, for example. FIG. 11 shows an example of displaying the scanned region R2 using a diagram that simulates the subject's large intestine in more detail.

Embodiment 3
The ultrasound diagnostic system can also store ultrasound images corresponding to any position on the schematic diagram P of the large intestine.

Figure 12 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 3. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 3 includes a device body 2C instead of the device body 2 in the ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1. The device body 2C further includes an image memory 54 and an arbitrary location designation unit 55 in the device body 2 in embodiment 1, and includes a body control unit 26C instead of the body control unit 26.

In the device main body 2, an image memory 54 is connected to the image generation unit 21, the schematic diagram creation unit 25, and the main body control unit 26C. The image memory 54 is connected to the display control unit 22. In addition, an arbitrary location designation unit 55 is connected to the main body control unit 26C. The arbitrary location designation unit 55 is connected to the display control unit 22. In addition, the image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25, the main body control unit 26C, and the arbitrary location designation unit 55 constitute a processor 32C for the device main body 2C.

Under the control of the main body control unit 26C, the image memory 54 stores the ultrasound image when the subject's large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit 24 and the corresponding location on the schematic diagram P of the large intestine created by the schematic diagram creation unit 25, in association with each other.

Examples of the image memory 54 that can be used include recording media such as flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disk), MO disk (Magneto-Optical disk), MT (Magnetic Tape), RAM (Random Access Memory), CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digital card), or USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory).

The arbitrary location designation unit 55 designates an arbitrary location on the schematic diagram P of the large intestine based on a user instruction via the input device 27.

The display control unit 22 reads out from the image memory 54 an ultrasound image corresponding to an arbitrary location on the schematic diagram P acquired by the image acquisition unit 31 and designated by the arbitrary location designation unit 55, and displays the read ultrasound image on the monitor 23.

As described above, according to the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 3, the arbitrary location designation unit 55 designates an arbitrary location on the schematic diagram P of the large intestine based on a user's instruction, and the display control unit 22 reads out from the image memory 54 an ultrasound image corresponding to the arbitrary location on the schematic diagram P acquired by the image acquisition unit 31 and designated by the arbitrary location designation unit 55, and displays the read ultrasound image on the monitor 23, so that the user can easily check the ultrasound image capturing the desired position in the subject's large intestine.

The ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 3 has a configuration in which an image memory 54 and an arbitrary location designation unit 55 are added to the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 1, but it can also have a configuration in which an image memory 54 and an arbitrary location designation unit 55 are added to the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 2.

Fourth embodiment
The ultrasound diagnostic system can also detect stool present in the large intestine of a subject from ultrasound images and automatically determine the properties of the stool.

Figure 13 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 4. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 4 further includes a stool detector 56 and a stool characteristics determiner 57 in addition to the ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1, and includes a main body controller 26D instead of the main body controller 26.

In the device main body 2D, the stool detection unit 56 is connected to the image generation unit 21 and the main body control unit 26D. The stool detection unit 56 and the main body control unit 26D are connected to the stool characteristics determination unit 57. The stool characteristics determination unit 57 is connected to the display control unit 22. The image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25, the main body control unit 26D, the stool detection unit 56, and the stool characteristics determination unit 57 form a processor 32D for the device main body 2D.

The stool detection unit 56 performs a process of detecting stool in the subject that appears in the ultrasound image by analyzing the ultrasound image generated by the image generation unit 21. The stool detection unit 56, for example, stores multiple template images related to stool in the subject, and can detect stool by a so-called template matching method in which the ultrasound image is searched using the multiple template images. The stool detection unit 56 can also detect stool from the ultrasound image by using, for example, a machine learning model that has been trained using a large number of ultrasound images showing stool in the subject.

The stool characteristics determination unit 57 automatically determines the characteristics of the stool detected by the stool detection unit 56. Here, it is generally known that in the case of hard stool, ultrasound does not easily pass through the stool and most of the ultrasound is reflected at the shallow part of the stool, so it is shown in the ultrasound image as a so-called crescent-shaped high-brightness area, in the case of normal stool, ultrasound passes through the stool more easily than hard stool, so it is shown in the ultrasound image as a so-called half-moon-shaped high-brightness area, and in the case of soft stool, ultrasound passes through the stool more easily and it is shown in the ultrasound image as a so-called circumferential low-brightness area. In this way, the appearance of the stool in the ultrasound image differs depending on the characteristics of the stool. The stool characteristics determination unit 57 can acquire the characteristics of the stool, for example, by using a machine learning model that has learned information about a large number of ultrasound images in which the stool is captured and the characteristics of the stool.

The stool property determination unit 57 can also determine the properties of the stool according to the so-called Bristol scale. The Bristol scale classifies stool properties into seven states: "hard stool", which is hard and round like rabbit droppings; "hard stool", which is sausage-shaped but hard; "slightly hard stool", which is sausage-shaped with cracks on the surface; "normal stool", which is smooth and soft like a sausage or coiled like a snake; "slightly soft stool", which is soft and semi-solid with clear wrinkles; "muddy stool", which is loose and has loose borders and is in the form of small pieces or muddy stool; and "watery stool", which is watery and liquid stool without solid matter.

The display control unit 22 can display the position of the detected stool G and the properties of the stool G on the monitor 23 along with the schematic diagram P created by the schematic diagram creation unit 25, for example as shown in FIG. 14, based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the position sensor 3, the detection result of the stool detection unit 56, and the determination result of the properties of the stool by the stool properties determination unit 57. In the example of FIG. 14, the position of the stool G is displayed within the schematic diagram P of the large intestine, and a message E indicating the properties of the stool G, saying "Hard stool", is displayed.

As described above, according to the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 4, the stool detection unit 56 detects stool G in the large intestine from the ultrasound image, the stool characteristics determination unit 57 determines the characteristics of the stool G, and the display control unit 22 displays the position and characteristics of the stool G on the monitor 23 along with the schematic diagram P, so that the user can easily grasp not only the position of the subject's large intestine, but also the position and characteristics of the stool G present in the large intestine.

The ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 4 has a configuration in which a stool detection unit 56 and a stool characteristics determination unit 57 are added to the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 1, but it can also have a configuration in which a stool detection unit 56 and a stool characteristics determination unit 57 are added to the ultrasound diagnostic systems of embodiments 2 and 3.

Fifth embodiment
The ultrasound diagnostic system of the first embodiment includes the position sensor 3 as a probe position detector that detects the position of the ultrasound probe 1 , but the probe position detector is not limited to the position sensor 3 .

Figure 15 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 5. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 5 includes an optical camera 58 instead of the position sensor 3 and a device body 2E instead of the device body 2 in the ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1. Device body 2E further includes an optical image analysis unit 59 in the device body 2 in embodiment 1, and includes a device control unit 26E instead of the device control unit 26.

The optical camera 58 is connected to the main body control unit 26E. The optical image analysis unit 59 is connected to the optical camera 58 and the main body control unit 26E. The optical image analysis unit 59 is connected to the schematic diagram creation unit 25. The optical camera 58 and the optical image analysis unit 59 form a probe position detection unit 60. The image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25, the main body control unit 26E, and the optical image analysis unit 59 form a processor 32E for the device main body 2E.

The optical camera 58 of the probe position detection unit 60 includes an image sensor, such as a so-called CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a so-called CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor, and captures an optical image by photographing the abdomen of the subject and the ultrasound probe 1 placed on the abdomen. The optical camera 58 sends the captured optical image to the optical image analysis unit 59.

The optical image analysis unit 59 of the probe position detection unit 60 stores, for example, a plurality of template images representing the ultrasound probe 1 and the subject's abdomen, and can search the optical image by a template matching method using these plurality of template images to detect the ultrasound probe 1 and the subject's abdomen, and detect the position of the ultrasound probe 1 on the subject's abdomen. In addition, the optical image analysis unit 59 has a machine learning model that has learned a large number of optical images showing general ultrasound probes and the subject's abdomen, and can also use this machine learning model to detect the position of the ultrasound probe 1 on the subject's abdomen.

When the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25 creates a schematic diagram P representing the overall position of the subject's large intestine, for example as shown in FIG. 4, based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the probe position detection unit 60.

The display control unit 22 displays the schematic diagram P of the large intestine thus created by the schematic diagram creation unit 25 on the monitor 23.

As described above, even when the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 5 includes a probe position detection unit 60 composed of an optical camera 58 and an optical image analysis unit 59, in the same manner as the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 1 including a position sensor 3, when the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25 creates a schematic diagram P of the large intestine based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the probe position detection unit 60, and the display control unit 22 displays the schematic diagram P of the large intestine on the monitor 23, so that the user can easily grasp the position of the large intestine in the subject while performing the examination.

The ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 5 has a configuration in which a probe position detection unit 60 consisting of an optical camera 58 and an optical image analysis unit 59 is added in place of the position sensor 3 in the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 1, but it can also have a configuration in which a probe position detection unit 60 is added in place of the position sensor 3 in the ultrasound diagnostic systems of embodiments 2 to 4.

Sixth embodiment
The ultrasound diagnostic system may also be equipped with a probe position detection unit including a so-called distance measuring device.

Figure 16 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 6. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 6 includes a distance measuring device 61 instead of the position sensor 3 and a device body 2F instead of the device body 2 in the ultrasound diagnostic system according to embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1. The device body 2F further includes a probe position identifying unit 62 in the device body 2 in embodiment 1, and includes a body control unit 26F instead of the body control unit 26.

The distance measuring device 61 is connected to the main body control unit 26F. The probe position identifying unit 62 is connected to the distance measuring device 61 and the main body control unit 26F. The probe position identifying unit 62 is connected to the schematic diagram creation unit 25. The distance measuring device 61 and the probe position identifying unit 62 form a probe position detection unit 63. The image generation unit 21, the display control unit 22, the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25, the main body control unit 26F, and the probe position identifying unit 62 form a processor 32F for the device main body 2F.

The distance measuring device 61 of the probe position detection unit 63 has a transmission unit 64 and a reception unit 65, as shown in FIG. 17. The distance measuring device 61 is placed near the user who performs the examination by contacting the ultrasonic probe 1 with the body surface of the subject and the subject, and transmits detection signals to the user and the subject, and receives reflected signals from them.

The transmitter 64 of the distance measuring device 61 transmits a detection signal to the user and the subject. The transmitter 64 is a so-called wireless transmitter of electromagnetic waves, and includes, for example, an antenna for transmitting electromagnetic waves, a signal source such as an oscillator circuit, a modulation circuit for modulating the signal, and an amplifier for amplifying the signal.

The receiving unit 65 includes an antenna for receiving electromagnetic waves and receives reflected signals from the user and the subject.

The distance measuring device 61 can be configured, for example, by a radar that transmits and receives a detection signal of the so-called Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, which is made up of electromagnetic waves having a center frequency of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz, or by a radar that transmits and receives a wideband detection signal having a center frequency of 1.78 GHz. The distance measuring device 61 can also be configured by a so-called LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) sensor that transmits short-wavelength electromagnetic waves such as ultraviolet light, visible light, or infrared light as a detection signal.

The probe position identification unit 62 of the probe position detection unit 63 analyzes the reflected signal received by the distance measurement device 61 to acquire posture information of the user and the subject, and identifies the position of the ultrasonic probe 1 relative to the subject based on the acquired posture information, for example, by identifying the position of the user's hand.

The probe position identification unit 62 can acquire posture information of the user and the subject, for example, using a machine learning model that learns the reflected signal when a detection signal is transmitted to the human body by the ranging device 61. Specifically, the probe position identifying unit 62 may use, for example, "ZHAO, Mingmin, et al. Through-wall human pose estimation using radio signals. In: Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition. 2018. p. 7356-7365.", "VASILEIADIS, Manolis; BOUGANIS, Christos-Savvas; TZOVARAS, Dimitrios. Multi-person 3D pose estimation from 3D cloud data using 3D convolutional neural networks. Computer Vision and Image Understanding, 2019, 185: 12-23.", "JIANG, Wenjun, et al. Towards 3D human pose construction using WiFi. In: Proceedings of the 26th Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking. 2020. p. 1-14.", or "WANG, Fei, et al. Person-in-WiFi: Fine-grained person Pose information can be obtained using the method described in "Perception using WiFi. In: Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF International Conference on Computer Vision. 2019. p. 5452-5461."

When the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25 creates a schematic diagram P representing the overall position of the subject's large intestine, for example as shown in FIG. 4, based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the probe position detection unit 63.

The display control unit 22 displays the schematic diagram P of the large intestine thus created by the schematic diagram creation unit 25 on the monitor 23.

As described above, even when the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 6 includes a probe position detection unit 63 composed of a distance measurement device 61 and a probe position identification unit 62, in the same manner as the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 1 including a position sensor 3, when the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit 24, the schematic diagram creation unit 25 creates a schematic diagram P of the large intestine based on the position of the ultrasound probe 1 detected by the probe position detection unit 63, and the display control unit 22 displays the schematic diagram P of the large intestine on the monitor 23, so that the user can easily grasp the position of the large intestine in the subject while performing the examination.

The ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 6 has a configuration in which a probe position detection unit 63 consisting of a distance measuring device 61 and a probe position identification unit 62 is added instead of the position sensor 3 in the ultrasound diagnostic system of embodiment 1, but it can also have a configuration in which a probe position detection unit 63 is added instead of the position sensor 3 in the ultrasound diagnostic systems of embodiments 2 to 4.

1 Ultrasound probe, 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F Device body, 3 Position sensor, 11 Transducer array, 12 Transmitting/receiving circuit, 21 Image generating unit, 22 Display control unit, 23 Monitor, 24 Large intestine detection unit, 25 Schematic diagram creation unit, 26, 26B, 26C, 26D, 26E, 26F Main body control unit, 27 Input device, 31 Image acquisition unit, 32, 32B, 32C, 32D, 32E, 32F Processor, 41 Pulser, 42 Amplification unit, 43 AD conversion unit, 44 Beamformer, 45 Signal processing unit, 46 DSC, 47 Image processing unit, 51 Head-mounted display, 52 Project mapping device, 53 Unscanned area display unit, 54 Image memory, 55 Arbitrary location designation unit, 56 Feces detection unit, 57 Feces characteristics determination unit, 58 Optical camera, 59 Optical image analysis unit, 60, 63 Probe position detection unit, 61 Distance measurement device, 62 Probe position identification unit, 64 Transmission unit, 65 Reception unit, E Message, G Mail, M, P Schematic diagram, R1 Unscanned area, R2 Scanned area.

Claims (9)

An ultrasonic probe;
a probe position detector for detecting a position of the ultrasonic probe;
an image acquisition unit that acquires an ultrasonic image of a subject by scanning the ultrasonic probe;
a large intestine detection unit that detects the large intestine of the subject from the ultrasound image using a machine learning model;
a schematic diagram creation unit that creates a schematic diagram of the large intestine based on the position of the ultrasound probe detected by the probe position detection unit when the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit;
A display device;
a display control unit that displays the schematic diagram created by the schematic diagram creation unit on the display device. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the display device is one of a monitor, a head-mounted display, and a projector mapping device. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays on the display device the schematic diagram created by the schematic diagram creation unit during a previous examination of the subject in addition to the schematic diagram created by the schematic diagram creation unit. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the schematic diagram creation unit creates the schematic diagram in three dimensions. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, further comprising an unscanned area display unit that displays an unscanned area of the large intestine by the ultrasound probe based on the position of the ultrasound probe detected by the probe position detection unit when the large intestine is detected by the large intestine detection unit. an arbitrary part designation unit that designates an arbitrary part of the schematic diagram based on an instruction from a user;
The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit displays, on the display device, the ultrasound image acquired by the image acquisition unit and corresponding to the arbitrary location designated by the arbitrary location designation unit. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the schematic diagram creation unit creates the schematic diagram of either the entire large intestine, the rectum, or the colon. a stool detection unit that detects stool in the large intestine from the ultrasound image;
a stool property determination unit that determines the property of the stool detected by the stool detection unit,
The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit displays, on the display device, the characteristics of the stool determined by the stool characteristics determining unit together with the schematic diagram created by the schematic diagram creating unit. A control method for an ultrasound diagnostic system including an ultrasound probe, a probe position detection unit, an image acquisition unit, a large intestine detection unit, a schematic diagram creation unit, a display device, and a display control unit, comprising:
causing the probe position detection unit to detect the position of the ultrasonic probe;
causing the image acquisition unit to acquire an ultrasonic image of a subject by scanning the ultrasonic probe;
causing the large intestine detection unit to detect the large intestine of the subject from the ultrasound image using a machine learning model;
causing the schematic diagram creation unit to create a schematic diagram of the large intestine based on a position of the ultrasound probe detected when the large intestine is detected;
causing the display control unit to display the created schematic diagram on the display device.