JP6752254B2 - Information processing device, information processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for handling a tomographic image.

In the medical field, doctors make a diagnosis using medical images (three-dimensional image data representing three-dimensional information inside a subject) taken with multiple modalities and medical images taken at different dates and times. .. In order to use a plurality of types of medical images for diagnosis, it is important to associate (identify) a site such as a lesion of interest (site of interest, lesion of interest) in each medical image. Therefore, the doctor responds to the lesion by looking at the image of the lesion of interest pointed out on one of the medical images and using the similarity in the shape of the lesion and the appearance of the peripheral portion as a clue. We are working to search for the site (corresponding site, corresponding lesion) from the other medical image.

In the mammary gland department, after the lesions are pointed out on the MRI image of the breast taken in the prone position, the corresponding lesions on the ultrasonic tomographic image are searched (identified) by ultrasonography in the supine position for diagnosis. May be done. However, since the breast as the subject is soft and the difference in body position is large, there is a problem that the position and appearance of the lesion portion are significantly changed. Therefore, it is not easy to search for the corresponding lesion, and it is required to reduce the load by some kind of computer support.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for estimating the deformation of the breast from the prone position to the supine position. By using this deformation estimation result, the position of the lesion in the supine position can be estimated, and the estimated position can be presented as support information for ultrasonic probe operation. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique of automatically extracting a papilla position from a simple X-ray image of a breast and drawing a region in the image included in a certain range in the image.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-123682 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-227215

When the method described in Patent Document 1 is used, there is a problem that the operator (doctor) has to wait until the calculation is completed because the calculation of the deformation simulation such as the finite element method is required. Further, although there are some measurement information that the operator should input in order to carry out the deformation simulation, there is a problem that the time and effort of inputting the measurement information may not be allowed. Furthermore, there remains the problem that it is not easy to accurately estimate the deformation of the breast. Further, in the method described in Patent Document 2, a region within a certain range can be known from the feature points of the subject, but since it is only a cross section including the feature points in the image, the cross section thereof can be used. I can't know the area.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and is for deriving and presenting support information for searching a lesion or the like in an image only by a simple calculation without using a lot of measurement information. Providing technology.

According to the uniform state of the present invention, an acquisition means for acquiring a tomographic image of a subject photographed by using an ultrasonic probe, and an acquisition means.
A position / orientation acquisition means for acquiring information representing the position / orientation of the ultrasonic probe, and
A reference point position acquisition means for acquiring information representing a three-dimensional position of a reference point on the subject by using information indicating the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe .
Based on the information representing the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe and the information representing the three-dimensional position of the reference point, a plurality of tomographic images corresponding to portions separated by a predetermined three-dimensional distance from the reference point. Specific means to identify the location and
It is characterized by comprising a generation means for generating a composite image in which information indicating the plurality of locations is combined with the tomographic image.

According to the configuration of the present invention, support information for searching for a lesion or the like in an image can be derived and presented only by a simple calculation without using a lot of measurement information.

A block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an information processing system. A block diagram showing an example of a computer hardware configuration. A flow chart of the processing performed by the computer. The figure which shows an example of the composite image. A block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an information processing system. A flow chart of the processing performed by the computer. The figure which shows an example of the composite image. The figure which shows an example of the composite image. The figure which shows an example of the composite image. The figure which shows an example of the composite image. It is a figure explaining the information held in the data server 560. The figure explaining the statistical information. A block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an information processing system. A flow chart of the processing performed by the computer. It is a figure explaining the example of the composite image in 3rd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the embodiment described below shows an example when the present invention is concretely implemented, and is one of the specific examples of the configuration described in the claims.

[First Embodiment]
The information processing system according to the present embodiment searches (identifies) the corresponding site on the ultrasonic tomographic image by ultrasonic examination after the attention site such as the lesion is pointed out on the image acquired by the modality such as MRI. The support information for the search is presented to the operator when making a diagnosis. This system tends to maintain the three-dimensional distance (distance between nipple attention sites) from the nipple to the attention site such as the lesion regardless of the difference in body position such as prone position and supine position when the breast is examined. Based on the finding that it is located in, the location where the corresponding site is likely to exist is presented on the ultrasonic tomographic image. In addition, by displaying information on the ultrasonic tomographic image so that the distance from the papilla to each point on the image can be grasped, it is easy to search for the corresponding part on the ultrasonic tomographic image. Hereinafter, the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described.

First, an example of the functional configuration of the information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system according to the present embodiment includes a data server 160, an information processing device 100, a medical image collecting device 170, and a display unit 180.

First, the data server 160 will be described. The data server 160 holds information such as a three-dimensional distance (distance between reference points and attention sites) from the reference point (papillary head) of the subject to be observed to the attention site, and transfers this to the information processing device 100. Output. The distance between the reference point attention sites held by the data server 160 is a numerical value calculated in advance from other three-dimensional medical images such as an MRI image obtained by photographing the same subject. This value does not show the process of detecting the position of the reference point (papillary position) from the MRI image by image processing and calculating the three-dimensional distance from the position of the attention site pointed out on the image by the operator. It can be obtained by executing the image processing system of.

Although the data server 160 is shown as an external device of the information processing device 100 in FIG. 1, it may be a device inside the information processing device 100, for example, a device such as a hard disk built in the information processing device 100. It doesn't matter.

Next, the medical image collecting device 170 will be described. In the present embodiment, the medical image collecting device 170 will be described as being an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging device. The medical image collecting device 170 captures an ultrasonic tomographic image (tomographic image) of a subject in real time. The ultrasonic tomographic images of each frame captured by the medical image collecting device 170 are sequentially input to the information processing device 100 via the tomographic image acquisition unit 110. Further, the medical image collecting device 170 has a sensor system for measuring the position / orientation (three-dimensional position / orientation) in space of an ultrasonic probe (not shown) in real time. The position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe measured by this sensor system are sequentially input to the information processing device 100 via the position and orientation acquisition unit 120. Various configurations are conceivable for the sensor system for measuring the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe. For example, an image of the ultrasonic probe may be captured in real time, and the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe may be obtained by calculation from the image, or the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe may be obtained by calculation, or the magnetic sensor, ultrasonic sensor, or optical sensor may be used. You may measure by the measurement method of.

Next, the information processing device 100 will be described. For example, a general PC (personal computer) or the like can be applied to the information processing device 100, or dedicated hardware can be applied.

The reference distance acquisition unit 105 acquires the distance between the reference point attention sites sent from the data server 160 as the reference distance. As described above, the tomographic image acquisition unit 110 transfers the ultrasonic tomographic images sequentially transmitted from the medical image acquisition device 170 to the image generation unit 140 in the subsequent stage. As described above, the position / posture acquisition unit 120 transfers the position / posture sequentially transmitted from the medical image collecting device 170 to the image generation unit 140 in the subsequent stage.

The reference point position acquisition unit 130 acquires the position of the reference point in the space by using the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe based on the instruction of the operator.

The image generation unit 140 uses the reference point as the center and the reference distance as the radius by performing the calculation processing described later based on the reference distance, the position of the reference point, and the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe. The portion (circle) of the sphere cut out at the fault plane corresponding to the ultrasonic tomographic image is calculated. Then, the image generation unit 140 superimposes (combines) information on the portion (arc) included in the ultrasonic tomographic image of the calculated circle on the ultrasonic tomographic image and sends it to the display control unit 150.

The display control unit 150 transmits the composite image transmitted from the image generation unit 140, that is, an image in which information about the arc is superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image, to the display unit 180, thereby displaying the image to the display unit 180. To display.

The display unit 180 is composed of a CRT, a liquid crystal screen, or the like, and displays the processing result of the information processing device 100 with images, characters, or the like. The display unit 180 can display, for example, a composite image or a GUI (graphical user interface) described later.

Here, each functional unit constituting the information processing apparatus 100 may be configured by hardware, but a part thereof may be configured by software (computer program). In this case, the corresponding function is realized by executing this software by the control unit of the information processing apparatus 100. Further, one or more of the functional units constituting the information processing device 100 may be external independent devices. Of course, each functional unit constituting the information processing apparatus 100 may be realized by software.

In the present embodiment, each functional unit constituting the information processing apparatus 100 will be described as being configured by software. In this case, a computer having a hardware configuration as shown in FIG. 2 can be applied to the information processing device 100.

The CPU 1001 controls the operation of the entire computer by using the computer programs and data stored in the RAM 1002 and the ROM 1003, and also executes each process described later as to be performed by the information processing device 100 to which the computer is applied.

The RAM 1002 has an area for temporarily storing computer programs and data loaded from the external storage device 1007 and the storage medium drive 1008, and data received from an external device via the I / F (interface) 1009. The RAM 1002 also has a work area used by the CPU 1001 to execute various processes. That is, the RAM 1002 can appropriately provide various areas. The ROM 1003 stores the setting data of the computer, the boot program, and the like.

The keyboard 1004 and the mouse 1005 are for inputting various instructions to the CPU 1001 by being operated by the operator of the computer. However, if it is a device for inputting various instructions to the CPU 1001, a device other than the keyboard 1004 and the mouse 1005 may be used.

The external storage device 1007 functions as a large-capacity information storage device such as a hard disk drive device. The external storage device 1007 stores a computer program and data for causing the CPU 1001 to execute each process described later as performed by the OS (operating system) and the information processing device 100 to which the computer is applied. The computer program stored in the external storage device 1007 includes a computer program for causing the CPU 1001 to execute the functions of the functional unit (105 to 150) shown in FIG. 1 as the functional unit in the information processing device 100. There is. The data stored in the external storage device 1007 includes data to be treated as known information in the following description.

The computer programs and data described as being stored in the external storage device 1007 are appropriately loaded into the RAM 1002 according to the control by the CPU 1001, and are processed by the CPU 1001. The information described as being stored in the data server 160 may be stored in the external storage device 1007.

The storage medium drive 1008 reads out computer programs and data stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM according to an instruction from the CPU 1001, and outputs the computer programs and data to the RAM 1002 and the external storage device 1007. A part of the computer programs and data described as being stored in the external storage device 1007 may be stored in this storage medium.

The I / F 1009 is composed of an analog video port, a digital input / output port such as IEEE1394, an Ethernet port for outputting information such as a composite image to the outside, and the like. The data server 160, the medical image collecting device 170, and the display unit 180 are connected to the I / F 1009. As one form, a part of the functions of the reference distance acquisition unit 105, the tomographic image acquisition unit 110, the position / orientation acquisition unit 120, and the reference point position acquisition unit 130 is realized by the I / F 1009. The parts described above are connected to each other via the bus 1010.

Next, the processing performed by the computer of FIG. 2 operating as the information processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 showing a flowchart of the processing. The computer program and data for causing the CPU 1001 to execute the process according to the flowchart of FIG. 3 are stored in the external storage device 1007. The CPU 1001 loads the computer program or data from the external storage device 1007 into the RAM 1002, and executes processing using the computer program or data. As a result, the computer of FIG. 2 executes the process according to the flowchart of FIG.

(S3000: Acquisition of reference distance)
In step S3000, the CPU 1001 functions as the reference distance acquisition unit 105, and acquires the distance between the reference point attention parts sent from the data server 160 as the reference distance. If the data server 160 does not hold the distance between the reference points of interest and the distance between the reference points of interest cannot be obtained from the data server 160, the reference distance is not acquired in this step.

(S3010: Acquisition of tomographic image)
In step S3010, the CPU 1001 functions as a tomographic image acquisition unit 110 and acquires an ultrasonic tomographic image from the medical image acquisition device 170. Further, in this step, the CPU 1001 functions as a position / orientation acquisition unit 120, and acquires the position / orientation of the ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic tomographic image is captured from the medical image collecting device 170.

(S3020: Acquisition of reference point position)
In step S3020, the CPU 1001 functions as a reference point position acquisition unit 130 to acquire a reference point position (nipple position) in space. This acquisition process is performed when the operator operates the keyboard 1004 with a predetermined portion of the ultrasonic probe (for example, the central portion of the probe surface) in contact with the papilla position of the subject (for example, a reference). It is executed when the point position acquisition command is pressed. That is, the position of the predetermined portion is obtained from the position / posture of the ultrasonic probe acquired by the position / posture acquisition unit 120 when the above operation is executed, and this is acquired as the position of the reference point. When determining the position of the predetermined portion from the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe, there are a method of applying a specified bias to the position and orientation and a method of performing a specified matrix conversion.

If the reference point is present in the body of the subject, the operator operates the ultrasonic probe so that the reference point is drawn on the ultrasonic tomographic image, and then on the tomographic image. When the operator points out the coordinates of the reference point, the position is acquired.

(S3030: Image composition)
In step S3030, the CPU 1001 functions as an image generation unit 140, generates an image in which information indicating a location where a corresponding portion is likely to exist is superimposed on an ultrasonic tomographic image, and sends the image to the display unit 180.

Here, the processing performed by the image generation unit 140 (CPU1001) will be described. First, the image generation unit 140 obtains a sphere having the position of the reference point obtained in step S3020 as the center and the reference distance obtained in step S3000 as the radius. Next, a plane (that is, an ultrasonic cross section (imaging cross section)) in the space including the ultrasonic tomographic image is obtained based on the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe obtained in step S3010, and the sphere is formed on that plane. Calculate the circle that can be cut out. Finally, the portion (arc) included in the ultrasonic tomographic image of the calculated circle is superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image to generate a composite image.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the composite image generated by this process. In FIG. 4, among the circles formed by cutting out a sphere having a radius of 420 with a reference distance of 420 centered on the papillary position 410 as the position of the reference point, the arc 430 included in the ultrasonic tomographic image is the ultrasonic tomographic image 440. It is superimposed. Here, the arc 430 is a set of points whose three-dimensional distance from the papilla position 410 coincides with the reference distance obtained in step S3000. If the three-dimensional distance from the papilla to the lesion is maintained in the subject, the corresponding site 450 exists only in the vicinity of the arc 430, and the operator relies on the arc 430 to search for the corresponding site 450. It can be carried out.

Auxiliary information indicating how far each point on the ultrasonic tomographic image is from the reference distance (three-dimensional distance from the reference point to each point on the tomographic image and the reference distance). Information indicating the relationship) may be superimposed and presented on this ultrasonic tomographic image. For example, some distances are obtained by adding or subtracting a predetermined value to the reference distance. Then, for each of the obtained distances, a sphere having the position of the reference point obtained in step S3020 as the center and the distance as the radius is obtained. Then, for the spheres obtained for each distance, the circles to be cut out on the above plane are obtained in the same manner, and the part (arc) included in the ultrasonic tomographic image of the obtained circles is superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image to create a composite image. To generate.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a composite image generated by this process when a plurality of values (for example, 5 mm, 10 mm, and 15 mm) set at equal intervals are used as predetermined values. In FIG. 7, along with the arc 430 in FIG. 4, the arcs obtained for some concentric spheres whose radii are obtained by adding or subtracting a predetermined value to the reference distance are superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image 440 as auxiliary lines 735. .. In addition, character information (“-5 mm”, “+10 mm”, etc.) indicating how far each auxiliary line is from the reference distance is superimposed in the vicinity of the auxiliary line as additional information. By displaying such a composite image on the display unit 180, the operator can know how far each point on the image is from the distance between the reference points of interest. The line type and color of the auxiliary line may be changed according to the distance from the reference distance. These auxiliary lines may be drawn at all times, or may be configured such that the operator can operate the keyboard 1004 or the mouse 1005 to select whether or not to draw them.

If the reference distance is not acquired in step S3000, the image generation unit 140 executes the following processing instead of the above processing. First, a plurality of spheres having a predetermined distance (for example, each distance in 10 mm increments from 10 mm to 100 mm) as a radius are calculated with the position of the reference point obtained in step S3020 as the center. Then, based on the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe obtained in step S3010, a circle formed by cutting out these spheres with an ultrasonic cross section is calculated. Then, a composite image is generated by superimposing the information indicating the distance between the portion (arc) included in the ultrasonic tomographic image and each of the calculated plurality of circles on the ultrasonic tomographic image. FIG. 8 shows an example of a composite image generated by this process. In FIG. 8, an arc obtained for a concentric sphere having a radius of a predetermined distance (20 mm to 60 mm) about the papilla position 410 is superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image 440 as an arc 830. This display is particularly effective when the operator grasps the distance between the reference points and attention points in his / her head. That is, even when the system does not acquire the distance between the reference points and the sites of interest, the operator searches for the corresponding site 450 by relying on the information on the distance from the papilla presented on the ultrasonic tomographic image. Can be done. Even when the reference distance is acquired in step S3000, the display (display of the distance between reference points and attention parts) and the main display (predetermined, etc.) are performed according to the instruction from the operator via the keyboard 1004 or the mouse 1005. The display of the interval distance) may be arbitrarily switched. In addition, the configuration may be such that these information are mixed and presented. If the position of the reference point has not been acquired, the image generation unit 140 uses the ultrasonic tomographic image as the output image.

(S3040: End judgment)
In step S3040, the CPU 1001 determines whether or not to end the entire process. For example, when it is detected that a predetermined key (end key) of the keyboard 1004 is pressed by the operator, it is determined that the process is terminated.

If it is determined to end, the CPU 1001 ends the entire process. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the process is completed, the process is returned to step S3010, and the processes after step S3010 are executed again for the newly captured ultrasonic tomographic image.

In the present embodiment, the case where the breast is used as the subject and the nipple is used as the reference point has been described as an example, but if the subject tends to preserve the distance between the site of interest and the reference point, the subject or The reference point may be any.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the operator can easily grasp the three-dimensional distance from the reference point (nipple) to each point on the ultrasonic image. In particular, by indicating a point at which the distance from the reference point (nipple) is the "distance between reference points of interest" or a point in the vicinity thereof, it is possible to present to the operator a place where there is a high possibility that a corresponding part exists. .. According to the present embodiment, since a guideline for searching the corresponding part in the ultrasonic tomographic image is displayed in the ultrasonic tomographic image, the range in which the operator searches for the corresponding part can be limited. Further, since the search range can be limited, the workload of the operator can be reduced and the risk of erroneous association can be reduced. Further, since the calculation such as deformation estimation is not performed, it is possible to support the search of the corresponding part without making the operator wait. In addition, since the amount of input information required is small, it is possible to support the search for the corresponding part without bothering the operator.

<Modified example of the first embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the case where the ultrasonic image collecting device 170 is used as the medical image collecting device 170 is taken as an example, but the medical image collecting device 170 may be any other modality. When the medical image collecting device 170 is CT or MRI, the information processing device 100 acquires a three-dimensional image in advance. Then, in the process of step S3010, the section of interest is specified using a GUI as in a well-known medical image viewer, a cross-section image is acquired from the three-dimensional image, and the position and orientation of the cross-section are acquired. Just do it. Further, in the process of step S3020, the three-dimensional coordinates of the reference point in the three-dimensional image may be acquired by using a GUI as in a well-known medical image viewer.

Further, the distance between the reference point attention sites held by the data server 160 does not have to be obtained from the MRI image. For example, the distance may be obtained by obtaining the positions of the reference point and the region of interest from images obtained during other modality or past ultrasonic examinations.

Further, in the first embodiment, the reference distance acquisition unit 105 acquires the distance between the reference point attention parts from the data server 160, but the method of acquiring the reference point attention part distance is not limited to this. For example, the reference distance acquisition unit 105 may acquire the distance input by the operator using the keyboard 1004 or the mouse 1005 using a GUI (not shown) as the reference distance. Further, the reference distance acquisition unit 105 acquires a medical image of the subject from the data server 160, and the reference distance acquisition unit 105 acquires the position of interest and the position of the reference point (nipple position) from this medical image, and the reference point attention portion. It may be configured to calculate the distance. Further, the reference distance acquisition unit 105 acquires the medical image of the subject and the position of the region of interest from the data server 160, and the reference distance acquisition unit 105 acquires only the position of the reference point from this medical image and between the reference points of interest. It may be configured to calculate the distance. When the reference distance acquisition unit 105 acquires the position of the region of interest or the reference point from the medical image, the operator may manually input the position or automatically detect the position by image processing. There may be.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, an embodiment that can be commonly used (not limited to the target) for a target in which the distance between the reference point attention sites tends to be preserved has been described. In the second embodiment, the subject, that is, the organ (breast), the reference point (papillary), as in the case of obtaining the distance between the papilla attention sites from the prone MRI image and supporting the supine ultrasonography. , And an embodiment in which the anterior-posterior position (prone position and supine position) is specified. The present embodiment is characterized in that statistical information of the distance between reference points and points of interest regarding such a specific target is acquired, and support information is controlled based on the statistical information. Further, in the present embodiment, considering that the statistical behavior of the distance between the nipple attention sites differs depending on the attributes of the subject and the region of interest, the support information is controlled based on the statistical information according to the attributes of the subject and the region of interest. It is characterized by doing. Here, the attributes of the subject and the region of interest are attributes that are known to have different statistical behavior of the distance between the papilla attention sites depending on the difference, for example, the age, bust size, and region of interest in the breast of the subject. Is the area to which Hereinafter, the information system according to the present embodiment, which is characterized in that the display is controlled by using statistical information, will be described only with respect to the differences from the first embodiment. That is, it is the same as the first embodiment unless otherwise specified below.

An example of the functional configuration of the information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. In FIG. 5, the same functional parts as those in FIG. 1 are assigned the same reference numbers, and the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 5, the information processing system according to the present embodiment includes a data server 560, an information processing device 500, a medical image collecting device 170, and a display unit 180.

The data server 560 holds, in addition to the distance between the reference point attention sites of the subject, the three-dimensional image data of the subject from which the distance between the reference point attention sites is acquired. In addition, the position (three-dimensional coordinates) of the region of interest in the three-dimensional image data is held. In addition, it holds information indicating which region in the breast the region of interest belongs to. For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, it holds information indicating whether it belongs to the inside or the outside of the breast. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), the A region (upper medial side), B region (lower medial side), C region (upper lateral side), D region (lower lateral side), and E region (areola) of the breast. It holds information indicating which one it belongs to. It also holds information on the subject's age and bust size (cup size, breast area volume, etc.). The data server 560 outputs the above-mentioned data held to the information processing apparatus 500.

From the data server 560, the corresponding distance calculation unit 510 determines the position of the region of interest in the three-dimensional image data of the subject, the position of the region of interest in the three-dimensional image data, which region in the breast the region of interest belongs to, and the age of the subject. And bust size information etc. Then, the corresponding distance calculation unit 510 acquires statistical information of the distance between the reference point attention parts based on this information, and based on this statistical information, from the reference point attention part distance (reference distance) to the reference point corresponding part distance. Estimated value of (hereinafter, corresponding distance) is calculated. Then, the calculated corresponding distance value is output to the image generation unit 540.

Here, the statistical information and the corresponding distance in the present embodiment will be described. For example, if there is statistical information that the distance between the nipple attention sites increases by α times on average when the body position changes from the prone position to the supine position, the corresponding distance is the value obtained by multiplying the reference distance r [mm] by α. Let r'(distance where the corresponding part is most likely to exist). In addition, if there is statistical information that the distance between papillary attention sites is maintained with a standard deviation σ [mm] when the body position changes from the prone position to the supine position, r-2σ, r-σ, r, r + σ, r + 2σ Let each distance of be the corresponding distance (information indicating the range of the distance where the corresponding part is likely to exist). When both α and σ are obtained, the corresponding distances are r'-2σ, r'-σ, r', r'+ σ, and r'+ 2σ. That is, the statistical information in the present embodiment represents the above-mentioned magnification α and standard deviation σ. Further, the corresponding distance is derived from these statistical information and the reference distance, and represents the distance and the range in which the corresponding part is likely to exist after the change in the body position.

The corresponding distance calculation unit 510 calculated by performing statistical processing (without distinguishing the cases) on the measured values of the distances between the nipple attention sites in the prone position and the supine position collected for a large number of cases. The above α and σ are managed as statistical information that does not depend on the subject. In addition, the corresponding distance calculation unit 510 classifies a large number of cases according to the region to which the lesion belongs (inside / outside, or regions A to E), and then performs statistical processing for each region to calculate statistics for each region. Manages information. Similarly, the corresponding distance calculation unit 510 divided the subject's age and bust size, distance between nipple attention sites, distance between body surface attention sites, mammary gland density, etc. into predetermined sections, and classified a large number of cases according to their respective criteria. It manages the statistical information for each section in each standard calculated by performing the statistical processing above. As the statistical information, it is not essential to use the value obtained by actually performing statistical processing on a large number of cases, and a configuration may be configured in which a value manually set (by a device designer or the like) is used. ..

The method of managing statistical information is not limited to the method of holding statistical information for each section to which statistical processing has been performed, and other methods may be used. For example, to hold a function of x that approximates statistical information with at least one combination of subject age, bust size, distance between nipple attention sites, body surface attention site distance, mammary gland density, etc. as input parameters x. It may be. That is, the statistical information may be managed in the form of a function f_α (x) that outputs α with x as an input or a function f_σ (x) that outputs σ with x as an input.

The image generation unit 540 uses a sphere centered on the reference point and a radius of the corresponding distance as a fault plane based on the corresponding distance calculated by the corresponding distance calculation unit 510, the position of the reference point, and the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe. Calculate the circle that can be cut out. Then, the image generation unit 540 superimposes information on the portion (arc) included in the ultrasonic tomographic image of the calculated circle on the ultrasonic tomographic image, generates a composite image, and causes the display control unit 150 to generate a composite image. Send out. That is, the composite image is generated in the same manner as in the first embodiment except that the corresponding distance is used instead of the reference distance.

When each functional unit in the information processing apparatus 500 shown in FIG. 5 is implemented by a computer program, the computer of FIG. 2 is applied to the information processing apparatus 500 as in the first embodiment. Can be done. That is, when each functional unit in the information processing device 500 is implemented by a computer program, the computer program is executed by the CPU 1001, which causes the computer to function as the information processing device 500.

Next, the processing performed by the computer of FIG. 2 operating as the information processing apparatus 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 showing a flowchart of the processing. The computer program and data for causing the CPU 1001 to execute the process according to the flowchart of FIG. 6 are stored in the external storage device 1007. The CPU 1001 loads the computer program or data from the external storage device 1007 into the RAM 1002, and executes processing using the computer program or data. As a result, the computer of FIG. 2 executes the process according to the flowchart of FIG.

Further, in FIG. 6, since each of steps S6000, S6010, S6020, and S6040 is the same processing step as steps S3000, S3010, S3020, and S3040 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, description of these steps will be omitted.

(S6003: Acquisition of calculation method)
In step S6003, the CPU 1001 acquires a method of calculating the corresponding distance, which is input by the operator by pressing a predetermined key of the keyboard 1004 or the like. In the present embodiment, the operator selects one of the following calculation methods.

1. Calculation based on statistical information that does not depend on the subject 2. Calculation based on the area to which the site of interest belongs 3. Calculation based on subject age and bust size 4. Calculation based on the distance of the nipple of interest from the nipple (distance between nipples of interest) 5. Calculation based on the distance from the body surface of the part of interest (distance between the parts of interest on the body surface) 6. Calculation based on the mammary gland density of the subject For example, a GUI for selectively displaying these six options is displayed on the display unit 180. Then, when the operator inputs an instruction to select one of the six options using the keyboard 1004 or the mouse 1005, the CPU 1001 detects the selected option as a calculation method to be adopted later. You may.

Of course, the method of designating the calculation method is not limited to such a method, and may be predetermined, or may be determined according to the inspection content and the department to which the computer belongs. Further, the options (calculation method) are not limited to the above six.

(S6005: Acquisition of various data)
In step S6005, the CPU 1001 functions as the corresponding distance calculation unit 510. As a result, the CPU 1001 can determine the reference distance from the data server 560, the three-dimensional image data of the subject, the position of the region of interest in the three-dimensional image data, which region of the breast the region of interest belongs to, and the subject. Get information about your age and bust size.

(S6025: Calculation of corresponding distance)
In step S6025, the CPU 1001 functions as the corresponding distance calculation unit 510, and calculates the above-mentioned corresponding distance based on the data acquired in step S6005. This process obtains the magnification α and standard deviation σ as statistical information, and based on the values, the representative value r'of the corresponding distance from the reference distance r and its range r'-2σ, r'-σ, r'+ σ. , R'+ 2σ is calculated.

When method 1 (calculation based on statistical information not dependent on the subject) is selected in step S6003, statistical information α and σ not dependent on the subject are selected as statistical information to be used later.

When method 2 (calculation based on the region to which the region of interest belongs) is selected in step S6003, α corresponding to the region (inside / outside or regions A to E) to which the region of interest belongs acquired in step S6005 The value of σ is selected as the statistical information to be used later. For example, as shown in FIG. 12A, it is assumed that the region of interest of subject 1 exists in the region C and the region of interest of subject 2 exists in region B. At this time, as the process of this step, in the subject 1, the magnification α _C and the variance σ _C, which are statistical information corresponding to the C region, are selected. Further, in the subject 2, the magnification α _B and the variance σ _B, which are statistical information corresponding to the B region, are selected.

When method 3 (calculation based on the subject's age and bust size) is selected in step S6003, the values of α and σ corresponding to the combination of the subject's age and bust size acquired in step S6005 are subsequently calculated. Select as the statistical information used in.

When method 4 (calculation based on the distance between nipple attention sites) is selected in step S6003, the values of α and σ corresponding to the distance between nipple attention sites acquired in step S6000 are used as statistical information to be used hereafter. select.

When method 5 (calculation based on the distance between body surface attention parts) is selected in step S6003, the distance between body surface attention parts is derived, and α and σ corresponding to the derived distance between body surface attention parts Select the value as the statistical information to be used below. Here, the distance between the parts of interest on the body surface is derived by the following processing. First, the CPU 1001 functions as the corresponding distance calculation unit 510, performs image processing on the three-dimensional image data, and derives a body surface region (a boundary region between the breast region and the outside of the body). Then, the nearest point of the body surface position with respect to the body surface position is searched, and the distance from the attention site to the nearest point is calculated as the distance between the body surface attention parts.

When method 6 (calculation based on the mammary gland density of the subject) is selected in step S6003, the mammary gland density of the subject is derived, and the values of α and σ corresponding to the derived mammary gland density are obtained thereafter. Select as the statistical information used in. Here, the mammary gland density of the subject is derived by the following processing. For example, the mammary gland density is calculated by acquiring a breast region from three-dimensional image data, classifying the fat region and the mammary gland region in the breast region, and obtaining the ratio of the mammary gland region contained in the breast region. The breast region is a region between the body surface and the chest wall, and can be acquired by image processing as a region such that the outer edges of the mammary glands of the left and right breasts are included in the body side direction. As a method for classifying the fat region and the mammary gland region in the breast region, for example, the region can be binarized at a certain threshold value based on the brightness value of the image. In this way, the ratio of the mammary gland region within the breast region can be obtained and used as the mammary gland density. Further, the average value of the brightness values in the breast region may be obtained and obtained as a value representing the mammary gland density. Further, the local mammary gland density in the vicinity between the nipple and the nipple may be obtained by considering the position of the nipple and the nipple (reference point position). For example, a cylinder having a predetermined radius centered on a line segment connecting the site of interest and the nipple may be defined, and the mammary gland density within the range of this cylinder may be obtained. In addition, the mammary gland area is divided into blocks of several tens of voxels, the mammary gland density in each block is obtained, and the mammary gland of each block is weighted according to the distance from the line connecting the attention site and the nipple to each block. The weighted average value of the density may be the mammary gland density.

If statistical information is held in the form of a function with the subject's age, bust size, nipple distance between nipple attention sites, body surface attention site distance, mammary gland density, etc. as input parameters x, the relevant parameters related to the subject. Is input to this function to calculate the magnification α and standard deviation σ.

(S6030: Image composition)
In step S6030, the CPU 1001 functions as an image generation unit 540, and indicates a place where a corresponding part is likely to exist based on an ultrasonic tomographic image, a position / orientation of an ultrasonic probe, a reference point position, and a corresponding distance. Generates an image in which information is superimposed on an ultrasonic tomographic image. Then, the CPU 1001 sends the generated image to the display unit 180.

First, the image generation unit 540 (CPU1001) centers on the position of the reference point obtained in step S6020, and the corresponding distances obtained in step S6025 (r'-2σ, r'-σ, r', r'+ σ, respectively. , R'+ 2σ) is the radius. Here, five spheres having the same center position but different radii are obtained.

Next, a plane (that is, an ultrasonic cross section (imaging cross section)) in the space including the ultrasonic tomographic image is obtained based on the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe obtained in step S6010, and the above sphere (that is, the sphere (imaging cross section)) is obtained on that plane. Calculate the circle (5 circles) formed by cutting out (5 spheres). Finally, the portion (arc) included in the ultrasonic tomographic image of the calculated circle is superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image to generate a composite image.

FIG. 9 shows an example of a composite image generated by this process. In FIG. 9, the cross sections of concentric spheres centered on the papilla position 410 and having radii corresponding distances are superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image 440 as arcs 930 and auxiliary lines 935. In addition, character information (“-2σ”, “−σ”, “σ”, “2σ”, etc.) indicating the standard deviation is superimposed and displayed near each auxiliary line as additional information. Considering the situation of FIG. 12 (a) described above, even if the distance between the nipple attention sites is the same r, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), in the subject 1, the information based on the statistical information of the C region is obtained in the subject 2. Then, the information based on the statistical information of the B area is superimposed and displayed.

FIG. 10 is another example of the composite image in the present embodiment, in which the region within the standard deviation σ and the region within 2σ are translucently colored and presented as the existence range 1035. By searching for the corresponding part 450 with reference to the support information presented in this way, the operator can narrow down the search range.

As described above, it is possible to draw the position where the corresponding site is likely to exist in the ultrasonic tomographic image and present it to the operator by using the statistical information regarding the distance between the papilla attention sites. In addition, by using statistical information according to the attributes of the subject and the region of interest, a more probable position can be presented. By presenting this, a more effective search range can be shown to the operator, it is possible to prevent the operator from making an erroneous association, and it is possible to further reduce the time and effort for searching a wide range.

[Third Embodiment]
The third embodiment is an embodiment in which presentation is performed in consideration of the spatial extent (size) of the region of interest. Hereinafter, the information system according to the present embodiment will be described only with respect to the differences from the first embodiment. That is, the same as the first embodiment unless otherwise specified below.

An example of the functional configuration of the information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. In FIG. 13, the same functional parts as those in FIG. 1 are assigned the same reference numbers, and the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 13, the information processing system according to the present embodiment includes a data server 1360, an information processing device 1300, a medical image collecting device 170, and a display unit 180.

The data server 1360 holds information on the spatial spread of the attention portion in addition to the information such as the distance between the reference points and attention portions described in the first embodiment. Here, the information regarding the spatial spread of the region of interest is, for example, the maximum diameter R of the region of interest. Alternatively, it is the distance from the reference point to the nearest point of the region of interest (minimum distance Dmin) and the distance to the farthest point (maximum distance Dmax). The former information can be obtained by detecting a region representing the region of interest by image processing from the three-dimensional image data of the subject from which the distance between the regions of interest of the reference point is acquired. Further, the latter information can be calculated based on the papilla position in the three-dimensional image data and the information labeled on the voxel of the region of interest. The data server 1360 outputs the held data to the information processing apparatus 1300.

The display range calculation unit 1310 acquires information on the spatial extent of the region of interest from the data server 1360. Then, the display range with respect to the reference distance is calculated based on this information. Then, the calculated display range value is output to the image generation unit 1340.

Similar to the image generation unit 140 of the first embodiment, the image generation unit 1340 uses the distance from the reference point as a reference based on the reference distance, the position of the reference point, and the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe. The information of the arc that becomes the distance is superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image. Further, by further using the value of the display range calculated by the display range calculation unit 1310, the information of the region having a width from the reference distance is superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image.

When each functional unit in the information processing apparatus 1300 shown in FIG. 13 is implemented by a computer program, the computer of FIG. 2 is applied to the information processing apparatus 1300 as in the first embodiment. Can be done. That is, when each functional unit in the information processing device 1300 is implemented by a computer program, the computer program is executed by the CPU 1001, which causes the computer to function as the information processing device 1300.

Next, the processing performed by the computer of FIG. 2 operating as the information processing apparatus 1300 will be described with reference to FIG. 14 showing a flowchart of the processing. The computer program and data for causing the CPU 1001 to execute the process according to the flowchart of FIG. 14 are stored in the external storage device 1007. The CPU 1001 loads the computer program or data from the external storage device 1007 into the RAM 1002, and executes processing using the computer program or data. As a result, the computer of FIG. 2 executes the process according to the flowchart of FIG.

In FIG. 14, since each of steps S14000, S14010, S14020, and S14040 is the same processing step as steps S3000, S3010, S3020, and S3040 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, description of these steps will be omitted.

(S14005: Acquisition of spatial expanse of attention area)
In step S14005, the CPU 1001 functions as a display range calculation unit 1310, and acquires information on the spatial spread of the region of interest from the data server 1360. For example, the maximum diameter R of the region of interest, the minimum distance Dmin and the maximum distance Dmax from the reference point to the region of interest are acquired.

(S1407: Calculation of display range)
In step S14007, the CPU 1001 functions as a display range calculation unit 1310, and calculates a display range based on the information regarding the spatial spread of the region of interest acquired in step S14005. Specifically, the lower limit value and the upper limit value of the distance from the reference point position are defined as the display range. For example, when the maximum diameter R of the region of interest is acquired, the display range is from the lower limit value r-R / 2 to the upper limit value r + R / 2 based on the reference distance r. Further, when the minimum distance Dmin and the maximum distance Dmax between the papilla attention sites are acquired, the display range is from the lower limit value Dmin to the upper limit value Dmax.

(S14030: Image composition)
In step S14030, the CPU 1001 functions as an image generation unit 1340, and in consideration of the spatial spread of the corresponding part, an image in which information indicating a place where the corresponding part is likely to exist is superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image is displayed. Generate. Specifically, a composite image is generated in which the display range acquired in step S1407, that is, the arcs corresponding to the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the distance are superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image. Alternatively, the region surrounded by the arc is semi-transparently colored to generate a composite image superimposed on the ultrasonic tomographic image. Since the process of obtaining the arc on the ultrasonic tomographic image at a predetermined distance from the reference point is the same as the process for the reference distance in step S3030 of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 15 is an example of a composite image in this embodiment. In this example, at the same time as drawing the arc 430 of the reference distance, the range surrounded by the spheres having radii r-R / 2 and r + R / 2 from the reference point is colored translucently and presented as the existence range 1510. ..

Based on the above, the presentation will be made in consideration of the spatial extent of the region of interest. By this presentation, the operator can perform a search in consideration of the spatial extent of the target portion.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the above description, the information described as being displayed on the screen at one time is not limited to being displayed at one time, and some of them may be displayed or switched according to the user's instruction. May be displayed.

Further, in the above explanation, the position where the corresponding site is likely to exist is drawn in various forms in the ultrasonic tomographic image and presented to the operator, but the lesion does not occur on the mammary gland, etc. Depending on the type of lesion, such a presentation may be incorrect. Therefore, depending on the type of lesion, it is possible to switch between performing and not performing the above synthetic process.

For example, when the operator identifies the type of lesion and determines that the lesion does not occur on the mammary gland, the keyboard 1004 or mouse 1005 may be used to specify not to perform the above synthetic process.

Further, the ultrasonic tomographic image and the corresponding cross-sectional image in the three-dimensional image by MRI are displayed side by side on the same screen. There is a so-called "Fusion display". In such a fusion display, it is preferable to display the images at the same cross-sectional position side by side, but the cross-sectional positions are displaced during the imaging of the ultrasonic tomographic image due to the influence of the patient's body movement or the like.

Therefore, a "alignment mode" and a "shooting mode" are provided. For example, a button image for instructing the selection of the "alignment mode" and a button image for instructing the selection of the "shooting mode" are displayed on the screen of the display unit 180. Then, when the operator operates the keyboard 1004 or the mouse 1005 to specify the button image of the "alignment mode", the CPU 1001 sets the computer mode to the "alignment mode". On the other hand, when the operator operates the keyboard 1004 or the mouse 1005 to specify the button image of the "shooting mode", the CPU 1001 sets the computer mode to the "shooting mode". The mode setting method is not limited to this. Then, when the "alignment mode" is set, the CPU 1001 permits the compositing process, and when the "shooting mode" is set, the CPU 1001 prohibits the compositing process. Thereby, it is possible to present reference information when the operator adjusts the position of the ultrasonic probe so that the images at the same cross-sectional position are displayed side by side.

Further, the above compositing process may be permitted when displaying each image of the prone position-supine position in Fusion, and the above compositing process may be prohibited when displaying each image of the prone position-supine position in Fusion. ..

In this way, it is possible to allow or prohibit the above-mentioned synthesis processing according to the purpose and situation of using the information processing system. Further, instead of prohibiting or permitting all the synthesis processing, for example, only one of the arc and the character information corresponding to the arc (for example, 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, etc.) may be permitted / prohibited. .. Further, instead of permitting / prohibiting the compositing process, it may be possible to control how many arcs and a set of character information corresponding to the arcs are displayed. For example, in the above "alignment mode", the number of display sets is increased, and in the "shooting mode", the number of display sets is decreased. Moreover, the above description may be used in combination as appropriate.

As described above, the gist of the above description is to acquire a tomographic image of the subject, identify a part in the tomographic image corresponding to a portion of the subject separated by a predetermined distance from the reference point, and identify the tomographic image. It is based on a technique of generating and outputting a composite image in which information indicating a location is combined.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is also realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment is supplied to the system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads the program. This is the process to be executed.

100: Information processing device 110: Tomographic image acquisition unit 120: Position / orientation acquisition unit 130: Reference point position acquisition unit 140: Image generation unit 150: Display control unit 105: Reference distance acquisition unit

Claims (29)

An acquisition means for acquiring a tomographic image of a subject photographed using an ultrasonic probe, and
A position / orientation acquisition means for acquiring information representing the position / orientation of the ultrasonic probe, and
A reference point position acquisition means for acquiring information representing a three-dimensional position of a reference point on the subject by using information indicating the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe .
Based on the information representing the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe and the information representing the three-dimensional position of the reference point, a plurality of tomographic images corresponding to portions separated by a predetermined three-dimensional distance from the reference point. Specific means to identify the location and
An information processing apparatus including a generation means for generating a composite image in which information indicating a plurality of locations is combined with the tomographic image. The information representing the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe is characterized by being information obtained by calculation from the tomographic image or information obtained by measurement by a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or an optical sensor. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a display control means for displaying the composite image on the display means. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tomographic image is a two-dimensional image of the subject taken by using the ultrasonic probe. The specific means identifies a portion in the tomographic image corresponding to a portion separated from the reference point by the predetermined three-dimensional distance with respect to a plurality of the predetermined three-dimensional distances different from each other.
Any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the generation means generates the composite image by synthesizing the tomographic image with information indicating a location specified for each of the plurality of predetermined three-dimensional distances. The information processing device described in. The specific means is a circle obtained by cutting out a sphere centered on the position of the reference point and having the predetermined three-dimensional distance as a radius in a cross section corresponding to the tomographic image for each of the plurality of predetermined three-dimensional distances. , And the arc included in the tomographic image among the obtained circles is specified as the location.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the generation means generates the composite image in which the arc specified for each of the plurality of predetermined three-dimensional distances is superimposed on the tomographic image. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the generation means generates the composite image in which characters indicating each of the plurality of predetermined three-dimensional distances are superimposed on the tomographic image. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the plurality of predetermined three-dimensional distances are evenly spaced. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising means for changing the predetermined three-dimensional distance according to a change in the body position of the subject. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising means for changing the predetermined three-dimensional distance based on the characteristic information of the subject. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the subject is a breast and the characteristic information is a mammary gland density. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the subject is a breast and the reference point is a papilla in the breast. An acquisition means for acquiring a tomographic image of the breast, which is a subject, taken with an ultrasonic probe , and
A position / orientation acquisition means for acquiring information representing the position / orientation of the tomographic image,
A reference point position acquisition means for acquiring information representing a three-dimensional position of the papilla on the breast by using information indicating the position and orientation of the tomographic image .
Based on the information representing the position and orientation of the tomographic image and the information representing the three-dimensional position of the papilla, a plurality of locations in the tomographic image corresponding to the portions three-dimensionally separated from the papilla by a predetermined three-dimensional distance. With specific means to identify
An information processing apparatus including a generation means for generating a composite image in which information indicating a plurality of locations is combined with the tomographic image. An acquisition means for acquiring a tomographic image of a subject photographed using an ultrasonic probe , and
A position / orientation acquisition means for acquiring information representing the position / orientation of the tomographic image,
A reference point position acquisition means for acquiring information representing a three-dimensional position of a reference point on the subject by using information indicating the position and orientation of the tomographic image .
A distance acquisition means for acquiring information representing a reference distance as a distance from the reference point in the subject to the site of interest in the subject.
Based on the information representing the position and orientation of the tomographic image and the information representing the three-dimensional position of the reference point, a plurality of locations in the tomographic image corresponding to the portions three-dimensionally separated from the reference point by the reference distance. With specific means to identify
An information processing apparatus including a generation means for generating a composite image in which information indicating a plurality of locations is combined with the tomographic image. Obtain a tomographic image of the subject taken with an ultrasonic probe and
Obtain information indicating the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe,
Using the information representing the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe, the information representing the three-dimensional position of the reference point on the subject is acquired.
Based on the information representing the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe and the information representing the three-dimensional position of the reference point, a plurality of tomographic images corresponding to portions separated by a predetermined three-dimensional distance from the reference point. Identify the location and
An information processing method characterized by generating a composite image in which information indicating a plurality of locations is combined with the tomographic image. The information representing the position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe is characterized by being information obtained by calculation from the tomographic image or information obtained by measurement by a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or an optical sensor. The information processing method according to claim 15. The information processing method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the composite image is displayed on a display means. The information processing method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the tomographic image is a two-dimensional image of the subject taken by using the ultrasonic probe. A location in the tomographic image corresponding to a portion separated from the reference point by the predetermined three-dimensional distance with respect to a plurality of the predetermined three-dimensional distances different from each other is specified.
The information processing according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the composite image is generated by synthesizing the tomographic image with information indicating a location specified for each of the plurality of predetermined three-dimensional distances. Method. For each of the plurality of predetermined three-dimensional distances, a circle obtained by cutting out a sphere centered on the position of the reference point and having the predetermined three-dimensional distance as the radius in the cross section corresponding to the tomographic image is obtained, and the determination is performed. Of the circles, the arc included in the tomographic image is specified as the location.
The information processing method according to claim 19, wherein the composite image is generated by superimposing the arc specified for each of the plurality of predetermined three-dimensional distances on the tomographic image. The information processing method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the composite image is generated by superimposing characters indicating each of the plurality of predetermined three-dimensional distances on the tomographic image. The information processing method according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the plurality of predetermined three-dimensional distances are evenly spaced. The information processing method according to any one of claims 15 to 22, wherein the predetermined three-dimensional distance is changed according to a change in the body position of the subject. The information processing method according to any one of claims 15 to 22, wherein the predetermined three-dimensional distance is changed based on the characteristic information of the subject. The information processing method according to claim 24, wherein the subject is a breast and the characteristic information is a mammary gland density. The information processing method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the subject is a breast and the reference point is a papilla in the breast. Obtain a tomographic image of the breast, which is the subject, taken with an ultrasonic probe .
Obtain information indicating the position and orientation of the tomographic image,
Using the information representing the position and orientation of the tomographic image, the information representing the three-dimensional position of the papilla on the breast is acquired.
Based on the information representing the position and orientation of the tomographic image and the information representing the three-dimensional position of the papilla, a plurality of locations in the tomographic image corresponding to the portions three-dimensionally separated from the papilla by a predetermined three-dimensional distance. Identify and
An information processing method characterized by generating a composite image in which information indicating a plurality of locations is combined with the tomographic image. Obtain a tomographic image of the subject taken with an ultrasonic probe and
Obtain information indicating the position and orientation of the tomographic image,
Using the information representing the position and orientation of the tomographic image, the information representing the three-dimensional position of the reference point on the subject is acquired.
Information representing the reference distance as the distance from the reference point in the subject to the region of interest in the subject is acquired.
Based on the information representing the position and orientation of the tomographic image and the information representing the three-dimensional position of the reference point, a plurality of locations in the tomographic image corresponding to the portions three-dimensionally separated from the reference point by the reference distance. Identify and
An information processing method characterized by generating a composite image in which information indicating a plurality of locations is combined with the tomographic image. A computer program for causing a computer to function as each means of the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images