JP7099064B2 - Display control device, medical image display system and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display control device, a medical image display system and a program.

Conventionally, there has been described a technique of setting overlay information to be displayed in advance for each observer of a medical image and displaying the overlay information according to the observer on the medical image (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 3290683

However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, since the overlay information displayed for each observer is fixed, the overlay information may overlap the image too much when the layout such as the number of displayed images is changed, which hinders the interpretation. be. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when one image is displayed on one screen, the overlay information hardly overlaps with the medical image, so that the image interpretation is not affected, but as shown in FIG. 12, 1 is displayed. When switching to display a plurality of images on the screen, the area where the overlay information overlaps with the medical image becomes large, and the medical image becomes difficult to see. This problem can be solved by hiding the overlay information, but conversely, if it is hidden, there is a problem that the necessary information cannot be seen.

An object of the present invention is to prevent overlay information from interfering with image interpretation even when the display area of a medical image is narrow, and to enable confirmation of necessary overlay information.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is
A display control device including a control means for controlling switching of overlay information to be superimposed and displayed on a medical image displayed on the display device.
The overlay information has a plurality of items for which display priorities are set in advance, and the overlay information has a plurality of items.
The control means calculates the overlap rate of the image display area of the medical image and the display area of the overlay information, and displays the overlay information superimposed on the medical image according to the calculated overlap rate and the display priority. Switch the item of to multiple stages .

The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1.
The overlay information is text information of DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) information including patient information, examination information, series information, or image information, or text information indicating information calculated based on the DICOM information. ..

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2 .
The control means calculates the overlap rate when the size of the image display area of the medical image is changed.

The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
The control means determines the display area of the entire medical image as the image display area and calculates the overlap rate.

The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
The control means determines the display area of the subject area of the medical image as the image display area and calculates the overlap rate.

The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .
The control means further switches the item of the overlay information to be displayed superimposed on the medical image according to the user operation.

The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .
When the control means acquires the device information of the display device for displaying the medical image and switches the item of the overlay information to be displayed superimposed on the medical image, the device information of the display device is further added. To switch.

The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7 .
The display priority for each item of the overlay information is preset for each user or group.
The control means switches the item of overlay information to be displayed superimposed on the medical image based on the display priority of each item corresponding to the user logged in to the display control device or the group to which the user belongs.

The invention according to claim 9 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .
The control means displays the color of the overlay information item to be displayed superimposed on the medical image in a color corresponding to the display priority.

The invention according to claim 10 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .
The control means displays the color of the overlay information to be superimposed on the medical image in a color corresponding to the displayed stage among the multi-stages.

The medical image display system of the invention according to claim 11 is
Display device and
The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 .
To prepare for.

The program of the invention according to claim 12
A computer used for a display control device that controls switching of overlay information to be displayed overlaid on a medical image displayed on the display device.
When the overlay information having a plurality of items for which display priorities are set is superimposed on the medical image, the overlay information items to be displayed are referred to as the display priority and the image display area of the medical image. A control means for switching in multiple stages based on the overlap rate of the overlay information display area .
To function as.

According to the present invention, even when the display area of the medical image is narrow, it is possible to prevent the overlay information from interfering with the image interpretation and to confirm the necessary overlay information.

It is a figure which shows the whole configuration example of the medical image display system in this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional configuration of the server apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the image display device of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of an overlay priority setting screen. It is a flowchart which shows the display control process A executed by the control part of FIG. 2 in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the viewer screen in the case of displaying all information. It is a figure which shows an example of the viewer screen in the case of essential information display. It is a flowchart which shows the display control process B executed by the control part of FIG. 2 in the 2nd and 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the image display area and the overlay display area when the image display area is all information display in one viewer screen in 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing overlay information displayed when the overlapping relationship between the image display area and the overlay area is shown in FIG. 9A. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the image display area and the overlay display area when the image display area is all information display in four viewer screens in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the overlay information which is displayed when the overlap relationship between the image display area and the overlay area is shown in FIG. 10A. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the image display area and the overlay display area in the image display area of four viewer screens. In the third embodiment, it is a figure which shows the state which the subject area shown in FIG. 11A was reduced. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing overlay information displayed when the subject area shown in FIG. 11A is reduced as shown in FIG. 11B in the third embodiment. It is a figure which shows the display of the overlay information when a plurality of images are displayed on one screen in the prior art.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples.

<First Embodiment>
(Configuration of Medical Image Display System 100)
First, the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 shows the system configuration of the medical image display system 100 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the medical image display system 100 includes an image generation device 1, a server device 2, and an image display device 3. Each of these devices 1 to 3 is connected so as to be able to transmit and receive data to and from each other via a communication network N constructed in a medical facility such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) standard is applied to the communication network N. The number of each device is not particularly limited.

Hereinafter, each of the constituent devices 1 to 3 will be described.
The image generation device 1 is a modality that photographs a subject portion in a human body and generates digital data of the captured image (medical image). For example, a CR (Computed Radiography) device, an FPD (Flat Panel Detector) device, and a CT (CT) A Computed Tomography) device, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) device, an ultrasonic diagnostic device, or the like can be applied.

The image generation device 1 is a device conforming to the above-mentioned DICOM standard, and generates a medical image in the DICOM file format. The DICOM file is composed of an image part and a header part. The actual data of the medical image is written in the image section, and the incidental information (DICOM information) of the medical image is written in the header section. The image generation device 1 adds the above-mentioned incidental information as header information to the medical image obtained by imaging, and transmits the medical image to the server device 2 via the communication network N.

Here, the DICOM information is configured to include patient information, examination information, series information, and image information.
The patient information is various information about the patient (subject) of the medical image, and includes, for example, items such as patient ID, patient name, date of birth, age, gender, height, and weight.
The inspection information is various information related to the inspection, and includes items such as an inspection ID, an inspection date, an inspection time, a technician's name, a requesting doctor, an image interpretation doctor, an inspection description, the number of series, and the number of images.
The series information is various information about the series included in the inspection, and includes items such as modality, part, series description, laterality, series number, number of images, and AE title.
Image information is various information related to medical images, for example, image number, patient direction, image type, pixel structure, vertical width, horizontal width, tube voltage, mA, tube current, pixel spacing, slice thickness, slice position, frame number. , Number of frames, TR, TE, WW / WC, etc. are included.

The server device 2 stores the medical image transmitted from the image generation device 1 in the image DB (Data Base) 251 and stores the incidental information in the incidental information DB 252 to manage the medical image. Further, the server device 2 executes the display control process A described later in response to the user's login request, and controls the display of the viewer screen 331 (see FIG. 6 and the like) displayed on the image display device 3. The viewer screen 331 is a screen for displaying a medical image for image interpretation.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the functional configuration of the server device 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, the server device 2 includes a control unit 21, an operation unit 22, a display unit 23, a communication unit 24, and a storage unit 25, and each unit is connected by a bus 26.

The control unit 21 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The CPU of the control unit 21 reads various programs such as system programs and processing programs stored in the storage unit 25 and expands them in the RAM, and executes various processes according to the expanded programs. The control unit 21 functions as a control means by executing the display control process A described later.

The operation unit 22 is configured to include a keyboard equipped with character input keys, number input keys, various function keys, and a pointing device such as a mouse, and a key press signal operated by the keyboard and an operation signal by the mouse. Is output to the control unit 21 as an input signal.

The display unit 23 is configured to include, for example, a monitor such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays various screens according to instructions of display signals input from the control unit 21.

The communication unit 24 includes a LAN card or the like, and transmits / receives data to / from an external device connected to the communication network N.

The storage unit 25 is composed of, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a semiconductor non-volatile memory, or the like. As described above, various programs are stored in the storage unit 25. In the program stored in the storage unit 25, a program for executing the display control process A, which will be described later, is stored.

Further, the storage unit 25 is provided with an image DB 251, ancillary information DB 252, and a user information DB 253.

The image DB 251 is a database for storing medical images.
The incidental information DB 252 is a database that searchably stores incidental information related to the medical image stored in the image DB 251.
The user information DB 253 stores a user ID, password, name, affiliation group (clinical department, etc.) of a user (doctor) who can access the medical image display system 100, priority setting information of overlay information, and the like. The overlay information referred to here is text information of information calculated based on incidental information (that is, DICOM information) or incidental information of the medical image displayed on the viewer screen 331 superimposed on the medical image. Annotations and scales are not included in the overlay information, even if the information is overlaid on the medical image. The priority setting information of the overlay information is the display priority (here, mandatory, high priority, or high priority) of each item to be displayed as overlay information among the incidental information of the medical image or the information calculated based on the incidental information. This is the setting information of low priority). The display priority is mandatory> high priority> low priority.

The image display device 3 is a terminal device equipped with an image interpretation application for displaying an examination list screen for selecting an examination to be image-read, a viewer screen 331 for displaying a medical image (see FIG. 6 and the like), and the like. be. As the image display device 3, a personal computer, a tablet, a smartphone, or the like can be applied.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of the image display device 3.
As shown in FIG. 3, the image display device 3 includes a control unit 31, an operation unit 32, a display unit 33, a communication unit 34, and a storage unit 35, and each unit is connected by a bus 36.

The control unit 31 is composed of a CPU, RAM, and the like. The CPU of the control unit 31 reads various programs such as the system program and the image interpretation application stored in the storage unit 35, expands them in the RAM, and executes various processes according to the expanded programs.

The operation unit 32 is configured to include a keyboard equipped with character input keys, number input keys, various function keys, and a pointing device such as a mouse, and a key press signal operated by the user and an operation signal by the mouse. Is output to the control unit 31 as an input signal. Further, the operation unit 32 may be configured to include a touch panel on the display screen of the display unit 33, and in this case, the instruction signal input by the user operation via the touch panel is output to the control unit 31.

The display unit 33 is configured to include, for example, a monitor such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays various screens according to instructions of display signals input from the control unit 31.

The communication unit 34 is composed of a LAN card or the like, and transmits / receives data to / from an external device connected to the communication network N by wire or wirelessly.

The storage unit 35 is composed of, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a semiconductor non-volatile memory, or the like. As described above, the storage unit 35 stores various programs such as a system program and an image interpretation application.

(Operation of medical image display system 100)
Next, the operation of the medical image display system 100 will be described.

When the user accesses the image interpretation application for the first time, the control unit 31 of the image display device 3 transmits a new user registration request to the server device 2 by the communication unit 34 according to the image interpretation application. When the control unit 21 of the server device 2 receives the new user registration request, the communication unit 24 transmits the screen information of the user registration screen (not shown) to the image display device 3 and displays it on the display unit 33, and the user ID is displayed. , Login information such as password, user information such as name, affiliation group, etc. are accepted. Further, the control unit 21 transmits the screen information of the overlay priority setting screen 330 to the image display device 3 to display it on the display unit 33, and accepts the input of the priority setting information of the overlay information. Then, the control unit 21 of the server device 2 registers (sets) the input user information and the priority setting information of the overlay information in the user information DB 253.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the overlay priority setting screen 330. As shown in FIG. 4, the overlay priority setting screen 330 has a "patient information" tab T1, an "examination information" tab T2, a "series information" tab T3, and an "image information" tab T4. An area 330a for displaying items that are candidates for display, and an area 330b having an "essential" tab T11, a "high priority" tab T12, and a "low priority" tab T13 are provided. When any tab of the area 330a is selected by the operation unit 32, the items corresponding to the selected tab, which are candidates for display in the overlay information, are displayed in a list. In the area 330b, when the user selects one of the tabs T11 to T13 by the operation unit 32 and selects the item to be set as the display priority corresponding to the selected tab from the area 330a, the selected item becomes the area 330b. The displayed and selected item is set as the display priority item corresponding to the selected tab in area 330b. When the setting is completed and the completion button 330c is pressed, the set information is transmitted to the server device 2 as the priority setting information of the overlay information.

Here, in the image interpretation application, the image interpretation mode or the setting mode can be specified as the operation mode in the medical image display system 100. The image interpretation mode is a mode for the user to interpret a medical image. The setting mode is a mode for changing the setting of the priority setting information of the user information and the overlay information. The server device 2 executes the display control process A described later as the image interpretation mode when accessed from the image interpretation application of the image display device 3, but when the image interpretation application instructs the operation in the setting mode, the user setting screen or overlay is performed. The priority setting screen 330 is displayed on the display unit 33, and changes in the setting contents are accepted.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the display control process A executed by the control unit 21 when the image interpretation application is started in the image display device 3 and the server device 2 is accessed from the image interpretation application. The display control process A is executed in collaboration with the program stored in the control unit 21 and the storage unit 25.

First, the control unit 21 causes the display unit 33 of the image display device 3 to display the login screen, and performs login authentication based on the information input from the login screen (step S1).

When the login is authenticated, the control unit 21 generates screen information on the inspection list screen displaying a list of inspections to be read based on the incidental information stored in the incidental information DB 252, and the communication unit 24 generates the screen information. It is transmitted to the image display device 3 and the inspection list screen is displayed on the display unit 33 (step S4).
When the inspection to be read is selected from the inspection list screen by the operation unit 32, the control unit 31 transmits the inspection ID of the selected inspection to the server device 2 by the communication unit 34.

When the communication unit 24 receives the inspection ID of the inspection to be read from the image display device 3 (step S3; YES), the control unit 21 has the priority of the overlay information corresponding to the logged-in user stored in the user information DB 253. Read the setting information (step S4).

Next, the control unit 21 refers to the priority setting information of the overlay information read in step S4, and displays the information of all the items of the overlay information to be displayed (all the items of essential to low priority) on the viewer screen 331. The screen information of is generated and transmitted to the image display device 3 by the communication unit 24, and the viewer screen 331 is displayed on the display unit 33 (step S5).

FIG. 6 shows an example of the viewer screen 331 displayed on the display unit 33 in step S5. As shown in FIG. 6, the viewer screen 331 displays the medical image 331a of the selected examination and the overlay information 331b. In step S5, all the items set to mandatory to low priority in the priority setting information of the overlay information are displayed as overlay information 331b. Further, the viewer screen 331 is provided with an overlay display amount change icon 331c for switching the display amount (number of items to be displayed) of the overlay information 331b according to the user operation. In the present embodiment, by pressing the overlay display amount change icon 331c by the operation unit 32, all information is displayed as the number of items to be displayed as overlay information (information display of all items whose display priority is essential to low priority) → priority information. It is possible to switch between three stages: display (information display of items whose display priority is essential to high priority) → display of essential information (information display of only items whose display priority is essential). By pressing the overlay display amount change icon 331c in the state of displaying the required information, it is possible to return to the display of all information. The overlay display amount change icon 331c is also displayed with characters indicating the stage (display of all information, display of priority information, or display of essential information) of the overlay information 331b currently displayed.

When the overlay display amount change icon 331c is pressed (clicked or tapped) by the operation unit 32, the control unit 31 notifies the server device 2 that the overlay display amount change icon 331c has been pressed.

When the communication unit 24 notifies that the overlay display amount change icon 331c has been pressed (step S6; YES), the control unit 21 refers to the priority setting information of the overlay information read in step S4 and gives priority. The screen information of the viewer screen 331 (priority information display) in which the low items are hidden is generated and transmitted to the image display device 3 by the communication unit 24, and the display unit 33 displays the viewer screen 331 (step S7). ), The process proceeds to step S8.

In step S8, when the communication unit 24 notifies that the overlay display amount change icon 331c has been pressed (step S8; YES), the control unit 21 refers to the priority setting information of the overlay information read in step S4. Then, the screen information of the viewer screen 331 (which displays the required information) in which the overlay information other than the required information is hidden is generated and transmitted to the image display device 3 by the communication unit 24, and the viewer screen 331 is displayed on the display unit 33. (Step S9), and the process proceeds to step S10. FIG. 7 shows an example of the viewer screen 331 displayed on the display unit 33 in step S9.

In step S10, when the communication unit 24 notifies that the overlay display amount change icon 331c has been pressed (step S10; YES), the control unit 21 returns to step S5.
The control unit 21 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S5 to S10 until the image display device 3 notifies that the viewer screen 331 is closed.

In the display control process A shown in FIG. 5, as an example, the case where the item (number of items) of the overlay information 331b to be displayed is switched to three stages is shown, but the overlay to be displayed when the overlay information 331b is displayed is shown. As long as the item of information 331b can be switched in multiple stages, the number of stages is not particularly limited. For example, the control unit 21 may switch the item of the overlay information 331b to be displayed in two stages in response to the pressing of the overlay display amount change icon 331c by the operation unit 32, such as display of all information → display of essential information. .. Further, the overlay information may be hidden. For example, in the order of all information display → essential information display → all information non-display, the item of overlay information 331b to be displayed is displayed as all information and required information is displayed in response to the pressing of the overlay display amount change icon 331c by the operation unit 32. It may be switched to two stages and then switched to non-display. The user may be able to set how many stages the item of overlay information 331b to be displayed can be switched and whether it can be switched to non-display.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the display priority is set for the item to be displayed as the overlay information, and the overlay information is displayed in response to the operation of the overlay display amount change icon 331c by the user. The display amount (number of items to be displayed) is switched in multiple stages based on the display priority set for each item. Therefore, if the display area of the medical image is small and sufficient area for displaying all the overlay information cannot be secured, the display amount of the overlay information can be switched to the minimum necessary, and the overlay information hinders the interpretation. It is possible to prevent the above, and it is possible to confirm the minimum necessary overlay information, and it is possible to improve the image interpretation efficiency.
The display may be freely switched by rotating the scroll mouse by a display switching setting (not shown).

<Second embodiment>
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the first embodiment, an example of switching the display amount (number of items to be displayed) of the overlay information according to the user operation has been described, but in the second embodiment, the overlay in the display area (image display area) of the medical image has been described. An example of automatically switching the display amount of overlay information according to the overlap rate of the information display area (overlay area) will be described.

In the second embodiment, the storage unit 25 stores a program for executing the display control process B described later.

Since the other configurations in the second embodiment are the same as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 in the first embodiment, the description is incorporated. Further, the operation of the medical image display system 100 in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment in the setting mode, and the process (display control process B) executed in the image interpretation mode is the first embodiment. Since it is different from the above, the display control process B will be described below.

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of the display control process B executed by the control unit 21 when the image interpretation application is started in the image display device 3 and the server device 2 is accessed from the image interpretation application. The display control process B is executed in cooperation with the program stored in the control unit 21 and the storage unit 25.

First, the control unit 21 causes the display unit 33 of the image display device 3 to display the login screen, and performs login authentication based on the information input from the login screen (step S21).

When the login is authenticated, the control unit 21 generates screen information on the inspection list screen displaying a list of inspections to be read based on the incidental information stored in the incidental information DB 252, and the communication unit 24 generates the screen information. It is transmitted and the inspection list screen is displayed on the display unit 33 of the image display device 3 (step S22).
When the inspection to be read is selected from the inspection list screen, the control unit 31 transmits the inspection ID of the selected inspection to the server device 2 by the communication unit 34.

When the communication unit 24 receives the inspection ID of the inspection target selected from the image display device 3 (step S23; YES), the control unit 21 stores the overlay information corresponding to the logged-in user stored in the user information DB 253. Read the priority setting information of (step S24).

Next, the control unit 21 refers to the priority setting information of the overlay information read in step S24, and displays the information of all the items of the overlay information (in the case of displaying all information), the overlay area in the image display area. The overlap rate is calculated, and it is determined whether the calculated overlap rate is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold Th or less than the predetermined threshold Th (step S25).
The threshold th of the overlap rate is, for example, 25%, more preferably 20%.

Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9A, the control unit 21 determines that the area where the entire medical image is displayed (the rectangular area 331A surrounded by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 9A) is the image display area. Further, the rectangular area surrounding the overlay information 331b (rectangular area 331B surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. 9A) is determined to be the overlay area. The overlay area becomes larger as the number of items of overlay information to be displayed increases. Further, as shown in FIG. 9A, when the overlay areas are scattered at a plurality of places, the total of the overlay areas is determined to be the overlay area.
For example, the overlap rate between the image display area and the overlay area can be obtained as follows.
Overlap rate = number of pixels in overlay area (area) / number of pixels in image display area (area)

When it is determined that the calculated duplication rate is less than the predetermined threshold value Th (step S25; less than Th), the control unit 21 generates screen information of the viewer screen 331 in which all the overlay information is displayed, and the communication unit 24. Is transmitted to the image display device 3 to display the viewer screen 331 on the display unit 33 (step S26), and the process proceeds to step S32.

When it is determined that the calculated duplication rate is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold Th (step S25; Th or higher), the control unit 21 refers to the priority setting information of the overlay information read in step S24 and sets the priority as the overlay information. When only the information of the item with high (display priority is required and item with high priority) is displayed (in the case of priority information display), the overlap rate of the overlay area in the image display area is calculated, and the calculated overlap rate is It is determined whether the predetermined threshold Th1 or more or less than the predetermined threshold Th1 (step S27).
The overlap rate threshold th1 is, for example, 25%, more preferably 20%.

When it is determined that the calculated duplication rate is less than the predetermined threshold value Th1 (step S27; less than Th1), the control unit 21 generates the screen information of the viewer screen 331 in which the overlay information is displayed as priority information, and the communication unit 24 Is transmitted to the image display device 3 to display the viewer screen 331 on the display unit 33 (step S28), and the process proceeds to step S32.

When it is determined that the calculated duplication rate is the predetermined threshold Th1 or more (step S27; Th1 or more), the control unit 21 refers to the priority setting information of the overlay information read in step S24, and is an essential item as the overlay information. When only (display priority is required) is displayed (required information is displayed), the overlap rate of the overlay area in the image display area is calculated, and whether the calculated overlap rate is the predetermined threshold Th2 or more or a predetermined threshold. It is determined whether it is less than Th2 (step S29).
The overlap rate threshold value th2 is, for example, 35%, more preferably 30%.

When it is determined that the calculated duplication rate is less than the predetermined threshold value Th2 (step S29; less than Th2), the control unit 21 generates the screen information of the viewer screen 331 in which the overlay information is displayed as essential information, and the communication unit 24. Is transmitted to the image display device 3 to display the viewer screen 331 on the display unit 33 (step S30), and the process proceeds to step S32.

When it is determined that the calculated duplication rate is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value Th2 (step S29; Th2 or higher), the control unit 21 generates screen information of the viewer screen 331 in which the overlay information is hidden, and the communication unit 24 generates the screen information. It is transmitted to the image display device 3 to display the viewer screen 331 on the display unit 33 (step S31), and the process proceeds to step S32.

In step S32, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the change of the image display area is instructed (step S32).
Here, the viewer screen 331 is provided with a grid button 331d. When the grid button 331d is pressed, options for how many image display areas are displayed on the viewer screen 331 (for example, 1 × 1, 2 × 2, 3 × 3, ...) Are displayed. As the number of image display areas increases, the size of each image display area becomes smaller. When the number of image display areas is selected, the control unit 31 transmits the number of image display areas selected by the communication unit 34 to the server device 2 to change the image display area (change the number of image display areas). To instruct.

When it is determined that the change of the image display area is instructed (step S32; YES), the control unit 21 changes the image display area according to the instruction (step S33), returns to step S25, and shifts to the changed image display area. On the other hand, the processing after step S25 is executed.
The control unit 21 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S25 to S33 until the image display device 3 notifies that the viewer screen 331 is closed.

Here, the character size of the overlay information is slightly changed according to the size of the image display area, but if the enlargement / reduction is the same as that of the image display area, the characters are small and difficult to see when the image display area is small. Therefore, the reduction of the character size of the overlay information is restricted so that it becomes a certain size or more, and the smaller the image display area, the larger the overlap rate of the overlay area in the image display area.

FIG. 9A shows an image display area 331A and an overlay area 331B when information of all items of overlay information is displayed in the image display area 331A of the viewer screen 331 having one image display area (in the case of displaying all information). It is a figure which shows the overlap relationship. When there is one image display area, as shown in FIG. 9A, the overlap rate of the overlay area 331B in the image display area 331A is low (less than the threshold value Th). Information is displayed.

FIG. 10A shows an image display area 331A and an overlay area 331B when information of all items of overlay information is displayed in the image display area 331A of the viewer screen 331 having four image display areas (in the case of displaying all information). It is a figure which shows the overlap relationship. When there are four image display areas, as shown in FIG. 10A, the overlap rate of the overlay area 331B in the image display area 331A is high (threshold value Th or more), so that the overlay information 331b is displayed as shown in FIG. 10B. Items are limited to information with high display priority.

In the display control process B shown in FIG. 8, as an example, the item (number of items) of the overlay information 331b to be displayed when the overlay information 331b is displayed (that is, the non-display of the overlay information 331b is not included) is displayed. Although the case of switching to three stages according to the duplication rate is shown, the number of stages is not particularly limited as long as the item of the overlay information 331b to be displayed can be switched to multiple stages. For example, the control unit 21 may switch the item of the overlay information 331b to be displayed into two stages of displaying all information and displaying essential information according to the overlap rate of the image display area and the overlay information area. The user-configurable configuration may be used to determine the number of stages in which the item of overlay information 331b to be displayed can be switched.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the display priority is set for each item of the overlay information, and the overlay to be displayed is displayed according to the overlap rate of the overlay area in the image display area. The number of information items is switched in multiple stages based on the display priority set for each item. Therefore, if the overlap of the overlay information with respect to the image display area becomes large when all the overlay information is displayed, the number of items to be displayed in the overlay information is automatically reduced according to the display priority, so that the overlay information interferes with the interpretation. It is possible to prevent it, and it is possible to confirm the minimum necessary overlay information within the range that does not interfere with the interpretation, and the interpretation efficiency can be improved.

When displaying a plurality of image display areas on the viewer screen 331, the overlap rate of the overlay area may be calculated for each image display area, and the number of items for which the overlay information is displayed may be switched for each image display area. Then, the duplication rate is calculated in the representative image display area (for example, the image display area on the upper left), and the number of items to be displayed in the overlay information of all the image display areas is switched (uniformly switched) based on the calculation result. It may be that.

<Third embodiment>
Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the image display area is set as the display area of the entire medical image, and the display amount (number of items to be displayed) of the overlay information is automatically switched according to the overlap rate of the overlay area in the image display area. However, in the third embodiment, an example will be described in which the image display area is used as the display area of the subject area of the medical image, and the display amount of the overlay information is automatically switched according to the overlap rate of the overlay area in the image display area. ..

Since the configuration of the third embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment, the description is incorporated. Further, since the operation of the medical image display system 100 in the third embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment in terms of the setting mode, the description is incorporated. The flow of the process executed in the image interpretation mode is the same as that of the display control process B shown in FIG. 8, but the calculation of the image display area in steps S25, S27, and S29 and the determination of the change of the image display area in step S32 are performed. Since they are different, the differences will be explained.

In steps S25, S27, and S29, the control unit 21 recognizes the subject area in the medical image and recognizes the display area of the subject area (the area 331A'shown by hatching in FIGS. 11A to 11C) as the image display area. Then, the overlap rate of the overlay area (331B) in the recognized image display area (331A') is calculated, and whether the calculated overlap rate is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold Th (Th1, Th2) or a predetermined threshold Th (Th1, Th2). ) To determine if it is less than.

Here, when the image display area is the subject area, the size of the image display area changes not only by changing the number of image display areas but also by processing such as enlargement / reduction of the medical image.
Therefore, in step S32, the control unit 21 not only gives an instruction to change the number of image display areas, but also receives an instruction to enlarge / reduce the image from the image display device 3, the size of the image display area. It is determined that the change has occurred, and the display amount of the overlay information is automatically changed based on the overlap rate between the image display area after the size change and the overlay area for each stage.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the number of items to be displayed in the overlay information is limited, the image display area may be reduced even if the medical image is reduced and the items to be displayed as the overlay information are increased as shown in FIG. 11B. When the overlap rate of the overlay area 331B in 331A'is lower than the threshold value Th, as shown in FIG. 11C, items that were not displayed before the reduction can be displayed.

As described above, in the third embodiment, since the overlap rate with the overlay area is determined by using the image display area as the display portion of the subject area, the overlap rate between the image display area and the overlay area is determined by enlargement / reduction processing of the medical image or the like. When a change occurs in, the item to be displayed in the overlay information can be changed according to the change in the overlap.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the fourth embodiment, when displaying the overlay information, an example in which each item is colored and displayed according to the display priority of the item and the display stage will be described.

When the control unit 21 generates the screen information of the viewer screen 331 displaying the overlay information in steps S5, S7, and S9 of the display control process A described in the first embodiment, or when the second to third executions are performed. When the screen information of the viewer screen 331 displaying the overlay information is generated in steps S26, S28, and S30 of the display control process B described in the embodiment, a color corresponding to the display priority is added to the item of the overlay information to be displayed. .. As a result, the user can easily recognize the display priority of each item of the displayed overlay information. Alternatively, a color may be added only to items having a higher priority than the standard (for example, required) to make them stand out. As a result, information on items with high display priority can be displayed in an easy-to-read manner.

Further, when the control unit 21 generates the screen information of the viewer screen 331 displaying the overlay information in steps S5, S7, and S9 of the display control process A described in the first embodiment, or when the control unit 21 generates the screen information of the viewer screen 331, or the second to third. When the screen information of the viewer screen 331 displaying the overlay information is generated in steps S26, S28, and S30 of the display control process B described in the embodiment, the overlay information to be displayed is set to the display stage of the overlay information (for example, all information). Colors may be added according to the display, priority information display, and essential information display). This allows the user to intuitively recognize at what stage the overlay information is currently being displayed.

As described above, according to the server device 2 of the medical image display system 100, the control unit 21 sets the overlay information items to be displayed when the overlay information is superimposed on the medical image to each item of the overlay information. Switch to multiple stages based on the preset display priority.
Therefore, if the display area of the medical image is small and sufficient area cannot be secured to display all the overlay information, the display items of the overlay information can be switched to the minimum necessary, and the overlay information hinders the interpretation. It is possible to prevent the above, and the user can confirm the minimum necessary overlay information, and the image interpretation efficiency can be improved.

For example, the control unit 21 can switch the overlay information item at the timing when the user wants to switch by switching the overlay information item to be superimposed and displayed on the medical image according to the user operation. ..

Further, for example, the control unit 21 calculates the overlap rate between the image display area of the medical image and the overlay information display area, and switches the overlay information item to be superimposed and displayed on the medical image according to the calculated overlap rate. By doing so, it becomes possible to automatically switch the overlay information item according to the overlap between the image display area of the medical image and the overlay information display area.
Further, for example, the control unit 21 calculates the duplication rate when the size of the image display area of the medical image is changed, and overlays the overlay information on the medical image according to the calculated duplication rate. By switching the items in, when the size of the image display area of the medical image is changed, the overlay information is automatically automatically adjusted according to the overlap between the image display area of the medical image and the overlay information display area. It is possible to switch the items of.

Further, for example, the control unit 21 determines that the display area of the entire medical image is an image display area and calculates the overlap rate, for example, by changing the number of medical images to be displayed, or by changing the number of medical images to be displayed. When the size of the display area changes, it is possible to automatically switch the display items of the overlay information.

Further, for example, the control unit 21 determines that the display area of the subject area of the medical image is an image display area and calculates the overlap rate, for example, by enlarging / reducing the medical image to be displayed to enlarge / reduce the subject area. When the size of the display area changes, it is possible to automatically switch the display items of the overlay information.

Further, for example, the display priority for each item of overlay information is set in advance for each user, and the control unit 21 sets the overlay information item to be displayed superimposed on the medical image to each item corresponding to the logged-in user. Switch based on the display priority of. Therefore, it is possible to switch the overlay information item to be overlaid on the medical image based on the display priority set by the user.

Further, the control unit 21 displays the color of the overlay information item to be superimposed on the medical image in a color corresponding to the display priority, so that the user can prioritize the display of each item of the displayed overlay information. The degree can be easily recognized.

Further, the control unit 21 displays the color of the overlay information to be superimposed on the medical image in the color corresponding to the displayed stage among the multiple stages, so that the user can use the overlay information of which stage. It is possible to intuitively recognize whether the display is being performed.

The description in the above embodiment is a preferable example of the present invention, and is not limited thereto.

For example, in the above embodiment, the display priority is set for each item of the overlay information for each user, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a display priority is set for each item of overlay information for each group (for example, a medical department, a group within a medical department, a facility, etc.), and the overlay information priority setting information for each group is stored in the storage unit 25. However, the items to be displayed as overlay information may be switched based on the display priority corresponding to the group to which the logged-in user belongs. Further, the display priority may be a preset one.

Further, in the first embodiment, the display item of the overlay information is switched each time the user presses the overlay display amount change icon 331c, but as a user interface for switching the item to be displayed as the overlay information. Is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a slide bar or the like.

Further, in the second and third embodiments, the display items of the overlay information are automatically switched based on the overlap rate between the image display area of the medical image and the overlay information display area, but the overlay information is automatically switched. Even if the items are switched, the information that the user wants to know may not be displayed. Therefore, in order to further know the information, the automatically displayed item may be further switched by the user's operation of the overlay display amount change icon 331c or the like. Further, the user may be able to set whether or not to automatically switch the display item of the overlay information based on the overlap rate between the image display area of the medical image and the display area of the overlay information.

Further, the control unit 21 automatically switches the overlay information item according to the overlap between the image display area of the medical image and the overlay information display area, and the device information in the image display device 3 for displaying the medical image. For example, the screen size, the resolution, the number of displays, and the like may be acquired, and the acquired device information may be added to switch the item of the overlay information to be superimposed and displayed on the medical image. This makes it possible for the user to actually read each item in consideration of not only the ratio of the overlapping area but also the actual comparison of character size and resolution, the number of displays and the size of the display. It is possible to guess and display it.

Further, in the second and third embodiments, the display items of the overlay information are automatically switched based on the overlap ratio between the image display area of the medical image and the display area of the overlay information, but the subject area of the medical image is The item of the overlay information to be overlaid on the medical image may be automatically switched based on either the displayed subject display area or the out-of-subject display area in which the out-of-subject area of the medical image is displayed. For example, when displaying overlay information, an area with good visibility is an out-of-subject display area of a medical image, and the display amount is maximized by setting a sufficient amount of information in this out-of-subject display area. can do. That is, the overlay information item may be adjusted so as to maximize the display amount in consideration of the area of the display area outside the subject (for example, the pixel size) and the size of the font in which characters can be generally visually recognized. At this time, it may be further determined by comparison with the size of the display. Even in this case, the automatically displayed items may be further switched by the user's operation of the overlay display amount change icon 331c or the like. Further, an item of overlay information for acquiring device information in the image display device 3 for displaying a medical image, for example, screen size, resolution, number of displays, etc., and adding the acquired device information to be superimposed on the medical image. It may be possible to switch between.

Further, in the above embodiment, the display control process A and the display control process B are executed in cooperation with the control unit 21 of the server device 2 and the program, and the overlay information to be displayed on the medical image is switched and controlled. However, the display control process A and the display control process B may be executed in cooperation with the control unit 31 of the image display device 3 and the program. In this case, the data necessary for processing (for example, image DB 251 and incidental information DB 252, user information DB 253) may be provided in the image display device 3, and a part or all of the DB may be provided in the server device 2. It may be configured and the server device 2 may be requested to search for data necessary for processing and acquire the data.

Further, in the above description, an example in which a hard disk, a non-volatile memory of a semiconductor, or the like is used as a computer-readable medium of the program according to the present invention is disclosed, but the present invention is not limited to this example. As another computer-readable medium, a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM can be applied. Further, a carrier wave is also applied as a medium for providing the data of the program according to the present invention via a communication line.

In addition, the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each device constituting the medical image display system can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

100 Medical image display system 1 Image generation device 2 Server device 21 Control unit 22 Operation unit 23 Display unit 24 Communication unit 25 Storage unit 251 Image DB
252 Ancillary Information DB
253 User information DB
26 Bus 3 Image display device 31 Control unit 32 Operation unit 33 Display unit 34 Communication unit 35 Storage unit 36 Bus

Claims (12)

A display control device including a control means for controlling switching of overlay information to be superimposed and displayed on a medical image displayed on the display device.
The overlay information has a plurality of items for which display priorities are set in advance, and the overlay information has a plurality of items.
The control means calculates the overlap rate of the image display area of the medical image and the display area of the overlay information, and displays the overlay information superimposed on the medical image according to the calculated overlap rate and the display priority. A display control device that switches the items in multiple stages . The overlay information is text information of DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) information including patient information, examination information, series information, or image information, or text information indicating information calculated based on the DICOM information. Item 1. The display control device according to Item 1. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the control means calculates the overlap rate when the size of the image display area of the medical image is changed. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the control means determines the display area of the entire medical image as the image display area and calculates the overlap rate. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the control means determines the display area of the subject area of the medical image as the image display area and calculates the overlap rate. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the control means further switches an item of the overlay information to be displayed superimposed on the medical image according to a user operation. When the control means acquires the device information of the display device for displaying the medical image and switches the item of the overlay information to be displayed superimposed on the medical image, the device information of the display device is further added. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the display control device is switched. The display priority for each item of the overlay information is preset for each user or group.
The control means switches the item of overlay information to be displayed superimposed on the medical image based on the display priority of the item corresponding to the user logged in to the display control device or the group to which the user belongs. The display control device according to any one of 7 to 7 . The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the control means displays the color of the overlay information item to be displayed superimposed on the medical image in a color corresponding to the display priority. The control means according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the control means displays the color of the overlay information to be superimposed on the medical image in the color corresponding to the displayed stage among the multi-stages. Display control device. Display device and
The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 .
Medical image display system equipped with. A computer used for a display control device that controls switching of overlay information to be displayed overlaid on a medical image displayed on the display device.
When the overlay information having a plurality of items for which display priorities are set is superimposed on the medical image, the overlay information items to be displayed are referred to as the display priority and the image display area of the medical image. A control means for switching in multiple stages based on the overlap rate of the overlay information display area .
A program to function as.

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