JP7278053B2 - X-ray CT system - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to X-ray CT systems.

An X-ray CT system is a type of medical diagnostic system that images the inside of a subject by scanning the subject using X-rays and processing the collected data with a computer. An X-ray CT system is used, for example, when puncturing a subject. At this time, the operator confirms the puncture target site (treatment target site or biopsy target site) from the pre-obtained image of the subject, and determines the insertion position, insertion angle, insertion distance, etc. of the puncture needle. Make a puncture plan including. While inserting the puncture needle, an X-ray CT system is used to acquire images at any time, and the current insertion state and plan are compared to confirm whether the puncture is performed as planned. However, in such a method, since it is necessary to perform scanning multiple times, there is a risk that the exposure dose to the subject increases.

If an attempt is made to reduce the number of times the subject is scanned in order to reduce the exposure dose to the subject, the number of images to be confirmed by the operator will decrease, and the degree of dependence on the operator's sense and skill will increase.

JP 2009-233096 A Japanese Patent No. 4956635 Japanese Patent No. 4632508 JP 2017-86819 A

An object of the present embodiment is to reduce the radiation exposure of the subject when puncturing the subject using an X-ray CT system, and to reduce the dependence on the sense and skill of the operator.

The X-ray CT system according to this embodiment is
a scanning unit that uses X-rays to scan a three-dimensional region including a first marker attached to a subject and a second marker provided on a puncture needle inserted into the subject;
an analysis unit that identifies image-based position information for each of the first marker and the second marker by analyzing an image generated based on the result of the scanning;
an adjusting unit that adjusts the sensor-based positional information regarding each of the first marker and the second marker, which is obtained by a sensing unit using a sensor, based on the image-based positional information;
Prepare.

1 is a block diagram for explaining the overall configuration of an X-ray CT apparatus used in the X-ray CT system according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a puncture tool used in the X-ray CT system according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of markers used in the X-ray CT system according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the marker shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a sensing unit provided in the puncture device shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a sensing unit provided in the puncture device shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 7 is a side view of the sensing unit shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing how a subject is transported to an X-ray CT apparatus and a puncture operation is performed; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a transmission section of the puncture device according to the first embodiment; 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining an example of a transmission unit in the display according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the overall configuration of an X-ray CT apparatus used in an X-ray CT system according to a second embodiment; FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a combined image obtained by combining an image obtained by scanning a subject and an image that virtually represents the state of a puncture needle, displayed on a display; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the composite image shown in FIG. 12 after starting the puncture operation; FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the overall configuration of an X-ray CT apparatus used in an X-ray CT system according to a modification of the first embodiment;

An X-ray CT system according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, constituent elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be given only when necessary.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an X-ray CT apparatus 1 used in an X-ray CT system according to the first embodiment. The X-ray CT apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a medical image diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment, and includes a gantry device 10, a bed device 30, and a console device 40, for example.

More specifically, the gantry device 10 includes an X-ray tube 11, an X-ray detector 12, a rotating frame 13, an X-ray high voltage device 14, a control device 15, a wedge 16, a collimator 17, A DAS 18 is provided.

The X-ray tube 11 is, for example, a vacuum tube that generates X-rays by applying a high voltage from an X-ray high voltage device 14 and irradiating thermal electrons from a cathode (filament) toward an anode (target). For example, the X-ray tube 11 is a rotating anode type X-ray tube that generates X-rays by irradiating a rotating anode with thermal electrons.

Wedge 16 is a filter for adjusting the dose of X-rays emitted from X-ray tube 11 . Specifically, the wedge 16 transmits and attenuates the X-rays irradiated from the X-ray tube 11 so that the X-rays irradiated from the X-ray tube 11 to the subject P have a predetermined distribution. It is a filter that For example, the wedge 16 (wedge filter, bow-tie filter) is a filter processed from aluminum to have a predetermined target angle and a predetermined thickness.

The collimator 17 is a lead plate or the like for narrowing down the irradiation range of the X-rays transmitted through the wedge 16, and a slit is formed by combining a plurality of lead plates or the like. Note that the collimator 17 may also be called an X-ray diaphragm.

The X-ray detector 12 detects X-rays emitted from the X-ray tube 11 and passing through the subject P, and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the X-ray dose to the DAS 18 . The X-ray detector 12 has, for example, a plurality of X-ray detection element arrays in which a plurality of X-ray detection elements are arranged in the channel direction along one circular arc around the focal point of the X-ray tube. The X-ray detector 12 has, for example, a structure in which a plurality of X-ray detection element rows each having a plurality of X-ray detection elements arranged in the channel direction are arranged in the slice direction (column direction, row direction). Also, the X-ray detector 12 is, for example, an indirect conversion type detector having a grid, a scintillator array, and a photosensor array. The scintillator array has a plurality of scintillators, and each scintillator has a scintillator crystal that outputs a photon amount of light corresponding to the amount of incident X-rays.

The grid has an X-ray shielding plate arranged on the surface of the scintillator array on the X-ray incident side and having a function of absorbing scattered X-rays. Note that the grid may also be called a collimator (one-dimensional collimator or two-dimensional collimator). The photosensor array has a function of converting the amount of light from the scintillator into an electrical signal, and includes photosensors such as photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). The X-ray detector 12 may be a direct conversion type detector having a semiconductor element that converts incident X-rays into electrical signals. Also, the X-ray detector 12 is an example of an X-ray detection unit.

The rotating frame 13 is an annular frame that supports the X-ray tube 11 and the X-ray detector 12 so as to face each other and rotates the X-ray tube 11 and the X-ray detector 12 by means of a control device 15, which will be described later. In addition to the X-ray tube 11 and the X-ray detector 12, the rotating frame 13 further includes an X-ray high-voltage device 14 and a DAS 18 to support them. The detection data generated by the DAS 18 is transmitted from a transmitter having a light-emitting diode (LED) provided on the rotating frame 13 to a non-rotating portion (for example, a fixed frame) of the gantry 10 by optical communication. ), which has a photodiode, and is transferred to the console device 40 . The method of transmitting the detection data from the rotating frame 13 to the non-rotating portion of the gantry 10 is not limited to the optical communication described above, and any method of non-contact data transmission may be employed. Also, the rotating frame 13 is an example of a rotating portion.

The X-ray high-voltage device 14 has an electric circuit such as a transformer and a rectifier, and has a high-voltage generator function to generate a high voltage to be applied to the X-ray tube 11. and an X-ray control device for controlling an output voltage according to the X-rays to be emitted. The high voltage generator may be of a transformer type or an inverter type. Note that the X-ray high-voltage device 14 may be provided on a rotating frame 13 to be described later, or may be provided on a fixed frame (not shown) side of the gantry device 10 . Note that the fixed frame is a frame that rotatably supports the rotating frame 13 . Also, the X-ray high voltage device 14 is an example of an X-ray high voltage section.

The control device 15 has a processing circuit having a CPU, etc., and a driving mechanism such as a motor and an actuator. The control device 15 has a function of receiving an input signal from an input interface 43 (described later) attached to the console device 40 or the gantry device 10 and controlling the operations of the gantry device 10 and the bed device 30 . For example, the control device 15 receives an input signal and performs control to rotate the rotating frame 13 , control to tilt the gantry device 10 , and control to operate the bed device 30 and the tabletop 33 . Note that the control for tilting the gantry device 10 is performed by the control device 15 based on the tilt angle (tilt angle) information input through the input interface attached to the gantry device 10, so as to rotate the rotating frame 13 about an axis parallel to the X-axis direction. This is achieved by rotating the Note that the control device 15 may be provided in the gantry device 10 or may be provided in the console device 40 . Also, the control device 15 is an example of a control unit.

The DAS 18 (Data Acquisition System) includes an amplifier that amplifies electrical signals output from each X-ray detection element of the X-ray detector 12, and an A/D converter that converts the electrical signals into digital signals. and generate detection data. Detection data generated by the DAS 18 is transferred to the console device 40 . Also, the DAS 18 is an example of a data collection unit.

The bed device 30 is a device for placing and moving a subject P to be scanned, and includes a base 31 , a bed driving device 32 , a top board 33 and a support frame 34 . The base 31 is a housing that supports the support frame 34 so as to be vertically movable. The bed driving device 32 is a motor or actuator that moves the table 33 on which the subject P is placed in the longitudinal direction of the table 33 . A top plate 33 provided on the upper surface of the support frame 34 is a plate on which the subject P is placed. Note that the bed driving device 32 may move the support frame 34 in the longitudinal direction of the top plate 33 in addition to the top plate 33 .

In this embodiment, the rotation axis of the rotating frame 13 in the non-tilt state or the longitudinal direction of the top plate 33 of the bed apparatus 30 is the Z-axis direction, and the axial direction perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and horizontal to the floor surface is are defined as the X-axis direction, the axis direction perpendicular to the Z-axis direction, and the Y-axis direction as the axis direction perpendicular to the floor surface. In FIG. 1, the pedestal device 10 and the top plate 33 are drawn at two locations for convenience of explanation, but in the actual configuration, both the pedestal device 10 and the top plate 33 are one.

The console device 40 also includes a memory 41 , a display 42 , an input interface 43 , a processing circuit 44 , a receiver 45 and a transmitter 46 . Although the console device 40 is described as being separate from the gantry device 10 , the console device 40 or a part of each component of the console device 40 may be included in the gantry device 10 .

The memory 41 is implemented by, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a semiconductor memory device such as a flash memory, a hard disk, an optical disk, or the like. The memory 41 stores projection data and reconstructed image data, for example. Also, the memory 41 is an example of a storage unit.

The display 42 displays various information. For example, the display 42 outputs a medical image (CT image) generated by the processing circuit 44, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for accepting various operations from the operator, and the like. For example, the display 42 is a liquid crystal display or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display. Also, the display 42 is an example of a display unit. Also, the display 42 may be provided on the gantry device 10 . The display 42 may be of a desktop type, or may be configured by a tablet terminal or the like capable of wireless communication with the main body of the console device 40 .

The input interface 43 receives various input operations from the operator, converts the received input operations into electrical signals, and outputs the electrical signals to the processing circuit 44 . For example, the input interface 43 receives acquisition conditions for acquiring projection data, reconstruction conditions for reconstructing CT images, image processing conditions for generating post-processed images from CT images, and the like from the operator. . For example, the input interface 43 is implemented by a mouse, keyboard, trackball, switch, button, joystick, and the like. Also, the input interface 43 is an example of an input unit. Also, the input interface 43 may be provided in the gantry device 10 . Also, the input interface 43 may be composed of a tablet terminal or the like capable of wireless communication with the main body of the console device 40 .

A processing circuit 44 controls the operation of the entire X-ray CT apparatus 1 . For example, processing circuitry 44 performs system control functions 441 , preprocessing functions 442 , reconstruction processing functions 443 , and image processing functions 444 . Also, the processing circuit 44 is an example of a processing unit.

The system control function 441 controls various functions of the processing circuit 44 based on input operations received from the operator via the input interface 43 . Also, the system control function 441 is an example of a control unit.

A preprocessing function 442 generates data by performing preprocessing such as logarithmic conversion processing, offset correction processing, inter-channel sensitivity correction processing, and beam hardening correction on the detection data output from the DAS 18 . Data before preprocessing (detection data) and data after preprocessing may be collectively referred to as projection data. Also, the preprocessing function 442 is an example of a preprocessing unit.

A reconstruction processing function 443 performs reconstruction processing using a filtered back projection method, an iterative reconstruction method, or the like on the projection data generated by the preprocessing function 442 to generate CT image data. Also, the reconstruction processing function 443 is an example of a reconstruction processing unit.

The image processing function 444 converts the CT image data generated by the reconstruction processing function 443 into tomographic image data of an arbitrary cross section or three-dimensional Convert to image. Note that the reconstruction processing function 443 may directly generate the three-dimensional image data. Also, the image processing function 444 is an example of an image processing unit.

Further, in this embodiment, processing circuitry 44 performs scanning function 445 , analysis function 446 , sensing function 447 and adjustment function 448 . Optionally, processing circuitry 44 also performs a puncture planning function 449 , a determination function 450 and a communication function 451 .

Although details will be described later, roughly speaking, the scan function 445 irradiates the subject P with X-rays from the X-ray tube 11 and executes processing for imaging the subject P. FIG. The analysis function 446 analyzes an image generated based on the result of the scan function to perform processing for specifying image-based position information for each of the marker 60 and the sensing unit 521, which will be described later. The sensing function 447 uses the sensing unit 521 to perform a process of acquiring sensor-based position information for each of the marker 60 and the sensing unit 521, which will be described later. Adjustment function 448 performs operations to adjust the sensor-based location information based on the image-based location information.

The puncture planning function 449 executes processing for the operator to plan the puncture work based on the image generated based on the scan results and to generate puncture plan information according to the puncture plan. The determination function 450 determines whether or not the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information, which are the measurement results of the sensing unit 521, match the puncture position information and the puncture angle information of the puncture planning information, respectively. to run. The transmission function 451 executes processing for transmitting the determination result of the determination function 450 to the operator.

In the X-ray CT apparatus 1, the X-ray tube 11 and the X-ray detector 12 are integrally arranged in a Rotate/Rotate-Type (third generation CT) that rotates around the subject P, and are arrayed in a ring shape. There are various types such as Stationary/Rotate-Type (fourth generation CT) in which a large number of X-ray detection elements are fixed and only the X-ray tube 11 rotates around the subject P, and any type can be applied to the present embodiment. Applicable.

2 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a puncture device 50 according to this embodiment, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a marker 60 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the marker 60 shown in FIG. It is a diagram. The puncture device 50 and the marker 60 constitute a puncture work unit according to the present embodiment. The puncture device 50, the marker 60, and the X-ray CT apparatus 1 constitute an X-ray CT system according to this embodiment.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, a puncture device 50 according to the present embodiment includes a puncture needle 51, a sensor 52, and a holding portion 53. As shown in FIG.

The puncture needle 51 is a needle that is inserted into the subject P. As shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, a cavity is formed inside the puncture needle 51, and is configured so that a drug can be injected into the treatment target site within the subject P, and tissue from the treatment target site can be harvested. there is The cavity of the puncture needle 51 is not necessarily required depending on the purpose of the puncture operation.

Moreover, the puncture needle 51 is replaced with a new one each time the subject P is punctured. In other words, the puncture needle 51 is a disposable member and is detachably attached to the sensor 52 . In this embodiment, the length of the puncture needle 51 is known. In other words, it is possible to specify the position information of the puncture needle 51 and the position information of the tip of the puncture needle 51 by specifying the position information of the sensor 52 . Although the puncture needle 51 is detachably attached to the holding portion 53 in this embodiment, the puncture needle 51 may be detachably attached to the sensor 52 depending on the shape and structure of the sensor 52 .

The sensor 52 is a sensor that measures position information of each of the marker 60 and the sensor 52 and angle information of the sensor 52, and has an internal configuration as shown in the block diagram of FIG. That is, in this embodiment, the sensor 52 includes a sensing section 521, a transmitting section 522, a receiving section 523, and a transmitting section 524 therein.

The sensing unit 521 is a measuring instrument capable of measuring the length, and uses the sensing unit 521 to sense the marker 60 attached to the subject P. FIG. Specifically, the sensing unit 521 of the sensor 52 measures the distance from the sensing unit 521 to the marker 60 attached to the subject P, and transmits information about the measured distance via the transmission unit 522. and transmits it to the console device 40 . That is, in this embodiment, the measured distance between the marker 60 and the sensor 52 is the sensor-based positional information of the marker 60 and the sensor 52, respectively. The sensor-based position information transmitted from the transmission unit 522 is received by the reception unit 45 of the console device 40 and taken into the console device 40 .

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sensing part 521 also measures the angle of the sensing part 521 , that is, the angle of the puncture needle 51 . Since the length of puncture needle 51 is known, the state of puncture needle 51 can be specified by specifying the angle of puncture needle 51 in addition to the position of sensing portion 521 . Information about the angle measured by the sensing unit 521 is transmitted to the console device 40 via the transmission unit 522 as sensor-based angle information of the puncture needle 51 .

Although details will be described later, the receiving unit 523 receives various information transmitted from the transmitting unit 46 of the console device 40, and the transmitting unit 524 transmits various information to the operator. In the example of FIG. 5, the transmitter 522, the receiver 523, and the transmitter 524 are provided in the sensor 52, but they do not necessarily have to be provided in the sensor 52. FIG. For example, the transmitting section 522 , the receiving section 523 and the transmitting section 524 may be provided on the surface or inside the holding section 53 . Alternatively, the transmitter 522 , the receiver 523 and the transmitter 524 may be provided separately from the puncture device 50 .

6 is an enlarged front view of the sensor 52 removed from the holding portion 53, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the sensor 52 shown in FIG. As can be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7, the sensor 52 has a circular shape with the same diameter as the holding portion 53, and an opening 52a is formed in the central portion thereof. The opening 52a is a hole through which the puncture needle 51 is passed. In other words, it can be said that the sensor 52 has a donut shape. The rear end of the puncture needle 51 passing through the opening 52a is inserted into and attached to the holding portion 53 .

The sensor 52 also has two planes, a first plane 52b and a second plane 52c. For example, the first plane 52b is attached to one end of the holding part 53, and the second plane 52c is exposed to the subject P side. The operator inserts the puncture needle 51 into the opening 52a from the second plane 52c side and attaches it to the holding portion 53 .

As shown in FIG. 2 again, the holding portion 53 is a portion where the operator holds the puncture device 50 by hand and operates the puncture device 50 . In this embodiment, the sensor 52 is detachably attached to one end of the holding portion 53 . However, the sensor 52 may be non-detachably fixedly attached to the holding portion 53 .

Further, the holding portion 53 is provided with two insertion portions 531 into which the operator's fingers are inserted. The insertion portion 531 may be provided at any position, but in the present embodiment, it is provided in the vicinity of the other end portion of the holding portion 53 so as to face it. Further, the insertion portion 531 is configured by a circular annular member having a size that allows insertion of the operator's finger. For example, in a puncture operation, an operator's thumb is inserted into one insertion portion 531 and an operator's middle finger is inserted into the other insertion portion 531 . However, the number of insertion portions 531 does not necessarily have to be two, and may be, for example, one or three. Alternatively, one of the insertion portions 531 may be formed of a ring-shaped member larger than the other insertion portion 531 so that both the forefinger and the middle finger of the operator can be inserted into the larger one of the insertion portions 531. . Here, the shape of the insertion portion 531 does not necessarily have to be circular, and any shape into which the operator's finger can be inserted is sufficient. Also, the insertion portion 531 may not necessarily have an annular shape, and may have, for example, a non-annular shape obtained by cutting out a part of an annular member. Furthermore, this insertion portion 531 may not exist in the holding portion 53 . In other words, the insertion portion 531 can be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the marker 60 according to this embodiment has an elastic circular sheet shape, and an opening 61 is formed in the central portion thereof. In the puncture operation, this marker 60 is attached to the subject P in the vicinity of the site to be treated. That is, the marker 60 is attached to the subject P to specify the relative position between the treatment target site of the subject P and the marker 60, and the distance from the sensing unit 521 of the sensor 52 to the marker 60. is a member for enabling the sensing unit 521 to measure the . The operator inserts the puncture needle 51 through the opening 61 of the marker 60 toward the target site of the subject P to be treated.

A plurality of sub-markers 62 are arranged on the marker 60 according to the present embodiment. For example, three sub-markers 62 are arranged on the marker 60 in this embodiment. Specifically, three sub-markers 62 are provided evenly around the outer circumference of the circular marker 60 . That is, the three sub-markers 62 are arranged such that the central angles formed between the center of the circular marker 60 and the three sub-markers 62 are equal to each other.

These sub-markers 62 are composed of members that can be sensed by the sensing portion 521 of the sensor 52 . For example, when the sensing unit 521 is an ultrasonic sensor, the sub-marker 62 is configured with a member that reflects ultrasonic waves emitted from the sensing unit 521 . Further, when the sensing portion 521 is a laser sensor, the sub-marker 62 is composed of a member that serves as a laser marker that reflects the laser emitted from the sensing portion 521 .

Note that the number of sub-markers 62 in the marker 60 is arbitrary, the relative positional relationship between the treatment target site of the subject P and the marker 60 can be specified, and the distance from the sensing unit 521 to the marker 60 in the sensor 52 The distance may be set to a number that can be measured by the sensing unit 521 . For example, there may be two, four, etc. submarkers 62 . In this embodiment, the distance from the sensor 52 to the marker 60 is determined by calculating the average of the distances measured based on the sub-markers 62 .

A puncture operation using the X-ray CT apparatus 1, the puncture tool 50, and the marker 60 according to this embodiment and the operations of the X-ray CT apparatus 1 and the puncture tool 50 at that time will now be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating how the subject P is punctured using the X-ray CT apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the subject P is inserted into the rotating frame 13 of the gantry device 10, and arranged so that the site to be punctured can be scanned using X-rays.

Furthermore, the operator attaches the marker 60 to the subject P in this embodiment. Specifically, the opening 61 of the marker 60 is aligned with the position where the puncture needle 51 is punctured toward the treatment target site of the subject P, and the marker 60 is attached to the body surface of the subject P. Also, the operator places the sensor 52 near the marker 60 . For example, the operator removes the sensor 52 from the holding portion 53 , or attaches the sensor 52 to the holding portion 53 before attaching the puncture needle 51 , or attaches the puncture needle 51 and the sensor 52 together. is attached to the holding portion 53 , the sensor 52 is placed near the marker 60 .

In this state, the operator scans the subject P using the X-ray CT apparatus 1 . That is, X-rays are emitted from the X-ray tube 11 of the gantry device 10, and the scanning function 445 of the processing circuit 44 of the console device 40 acquires an X-ray image. Specifically, the scan function 445 operates a system control function 441, a preprocessing function 442, a reconstruction processing function 443, and an image processing function 444 to operate the marker 60 attached to the subject P and the A three-dimensional region including the sensor 52 provided on the puncture needle 51 inserted into P is scanned using X-rays.

Both the marker 60 and the sensor 52 are imaged in the image generated based on the result of this scan. Therefore, the analysis function 446 in the processing circuit 44 can identify image-based positional information for each of the markers 60 and the sensors 52 by analyzing the images generated based on the scan results. Specifically, in this embodiment, the analysis function 446 calculates the distance from the marker 60 to the sensor 52 based on the image generated based on the scan results. In this embodiment, in order to ensure consistency with the method of measuring the distance between the sensor 52 and the marker 60, the analysis function 446 also measures the distances from the plurality of sub-markers 62 to the sensor 52 by image analysis. The distance from the sensor 52 to the marker 60 is obtained by calculating and averaging.

Meanwhile, the sensor 52 measures the distance from the marker 60 to the sensor 52 using the sensing section 521 . Information about the measured distance is transmitted to the console device 40 via the transmitter 522 as sensor-based position information of the marker 60 and the sensor 52 . In the console device 40 , the sensing function 447 in the processing circuit 44 acquires this sensor-based positional information via the receiver 45 . As described above, the sensor 52 measures the distances from the plurality of sub-markers 62 to the sensor 52 and calculates the average to obtain the distance from the sensor 52 to the marker 60 .

Adjustment function 448 of processing circuitry 44 in console device 40 then zeroes the sensor-based position information based on the image-based position information generated by analysis function 446 . Specifically, the adjustment function 448 uses the distance from the marker 60 to the sensor 52, which is the image-based positional information calculated by the analysis function 446, and the sensing distance from the marker 60 to the sensor 52 measured using the sensing unit 521. The distance to the part 521 is compared, and if there is a difference between the two, the distance, which is the sensor-based position information, is adjusted based on the distance, which is the image-based position information.

There are various methods of zero adjustment. 448 adopts the distance calculated by multiplying the distance of the sensor-based location information by 100/102 as the correct distance after adjustment.

In general, an image generated based on the result of scanning is regularly corrected, so accuracy is constantly guaranteed. On the other hand, the accuracy of the sensing unit 521 may deviate as it continues to be used. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the sensor-based positional information is zero-adjusted using the sensing unit 521 based on the image-based positional information whose accuracy is guaranteed. Once the adjustment function 448 performs zero adjustment, the adjustment function 448 uses the result of the zero adjustment to adjust the sensor-based position information measured by the sensing unit 521 based on the image-based position information. continue.

Further, in the present embodiment, an X-ray image acquired by scanning by the scanning function 445 is displayed on the display 42 of the console device 40 . The operator who performs the puncture operation makes a plan for the puncture operation based on the X-ray image displayed on the display 42 .

That is, the operator determines the puncture position and puncture angle of the puncture needle 51 of the puncture device 50 while viewing the image displayed on the display 42 , and inputs them to the console device 40 via the input interface 43 . Based on the input puncture position and puncture angle, the puncture planning function 449 generates puncture plan information including at least puncture position information and puncture angle information. Also, while viewing the image displayed on the display 42 , the operator determines the final position of the puncture needle 51 for injecting a drug or extracting tissue, and inputs it to the console device 40 via the input interface 43 . input. Based on this input final position, the puncture planning function 449 further generates puncture planning information including at least information regarding the final position of the puncture needle 51 . The puncture plan information generated by the puncture plan function 449 may further include information other than the puncture position information, the puncture angle information, and the information regarding the final position. It is also possible to omit the input of the information on the final position.

Next, the operator attaches the sensor 52 to the holding portion 53 if the sensor 52 is not attached to the holding portion 53 . Further, the operator attaches the puncture needle 51 to the holding portion 53 when the puncture needle 51 is not attached to the holding portion 53 .

Next, the operator approaches the portion of the subject P to which the marker 60 is attached and aligns the puncture needle with the opening 61 of the marker 60 . At this time, the position and angle of the puncture needle 51 in the puncture tool 50 are measured in real time by the sensing portion 521 of the sensor 52 . Therefore, the measured position information and angle information of the puncture needle 51 are transmitted from the transmission unit 522 to the console device 40 as sensor-based position information and sensor-based angle information.

In the console device 40 , the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information sent are received by the receiver 45 , and the sensing function 447 in the processing circuit 44 acquires them. That is, the sensing function 447 acquires sensor-based position information and sensor-based angle information using the sensing unit 521 at any time.

Subsequently, the determination function 450 in the processing circuit 44 converts the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information acquired by the sensing function 447 from time to time into the puncture position information and the puncture plan information generated by the puncture plan function 449 . It is determined whether or not they match the angle information. The determination function 450 then transmits the determination result to the puncture device 50 via the transmission unit 46 .

Receiving section 523 of puncture device 50 receives the sent determination result, and transmitting section 524 transmits the determination result to the operator. Various methods are conceivable for communicating the result of this determination to the operator. For example, if the transmission unit 524 is composed of a warning sound generator, and the puncture position and the puncture angle of the puncture needle 51 to be punctured do not match the puncture position information and the puncture angle information in the puncture plan information, some kind of warning is issued. The sound may be generated by a warning sound generator. This allows the operator to recognize that the position and angle of the puncture needle 51 to be punctured are different from the puncture plan.

Also, the transmission unit 524 can be configured by a display unit as shown in FIG. When the transmission unit 524 is configured by a display unit, for example, the display unit includes a first red lamp R1 and a second green lamp G1 regarding the position information, and a third red lamp R2 and a fourth green lamp regarding the angle information. G2. If the determination result of the determination function 450 indicates that the sensor-based location information of the puncture needle 51 and the puncture location information in the puncture plan information do not match, a red number related to the location information is displayed. 1 Lamp R1 is turned on. On the other hand, when the determination result of the determination function 450 indicates that the sensor-based position information of the puncture needle 51 and the puncture position information in the puncture plan information match, a green number related to the position information is displayed. 2 Light the lamp G1. Therefore, the operator can check whether the position of the puncture needle 51 matches the puncture plan by confirming which of the red first lamp R1 and the green second lamp G1 regarding the position information is lit. can know.

Further, when the determination result of the determination function 450 indicates that the sensor-based angle information of the puncture needle 51 and the puncture angle information in the puncture plan information do not match, a red number related to the angle information is displayed. 3 Turn on lamp R2. On the other hand, when the sensor-based angle information of the puncture needle 51 and the puncture angle information in the puncture plan information indicate a match, the green fourth lamp G2 relating to the angle information is lit. Therefore, the operator can check whether the position of the puncture needle 51 matches the puncture plan by confirming which of the third lamp R2 in red and the fourth lamp G2 in green regarding the angle information is lit. can know.

Furthermore, the transmitting portion 524 does not necessarily have to be provided on the puncture device 50 . For example, transmission unit 524 may be provided in console device 40 as transmission function 451 in processing circuitry 44 . FIG. 10 shows an example of a puncture status display screen displayed on the display 42 by the transmission unit 524. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the puncture status display screen displayed on the display 42 includes a first area 421 that displays the status regarding the position information of the puncture needle 51 and a second area 422 that displays the status regarding the angle information. is formed.

After displaying this puncture status display screen on the display 42, the transmission function 451 confirms that the determination result of the determination function 450 matches the sensor-based position information of the puncture needle 51 and the puncture position information in the puncture plan information. If it indicates that the location information is not available, the first area 421 related to the position information is displayed in red. On the other hand, if the determination result of the determination function 450 indicates that the sensor-based position information of the puncture needle 51 matches the puncture position information in the puncture plan information, the transmission function 451 transmits the position information. A first area 421 relating to information is displayed in blue. Therefore, the operator can know whether the position of the puncture needle 51 matches the puncture plan by confirming whether the first area 421 regarding the position information is blue or red.

Further, if the determination result of the determination function 450 indicates that the sensor-based angle information of the puncture needle 51 and the puncture angle information in the puncture plan information do not match, the transmission function 451 A second area 422 relating to information is displayed in red. On the other hand, if the determination result of the determination function 450 indicates that the sensor-based angle information of the puncture needle 51 matches the puncture angle information in the puncture plan information, the transmission function 451 transmits the angle A second area 422 relating to information is displayed in blue. Therefore, the operator can know whether the angle of the puncture needle 51 matches the puncture plan by confirming whether the second area 422 regarding the angle information is blue or red. However, when the transmission function 451 of the processing circuit 44 is used to transmit the determination result of the determination function 450 to the operator, it is not necessary to transmit the determination result to the puncture device 50 via the transmission unit 46. Gone.

It should be noted that regardless of the mode in which the determination result of the determination function 450 is transmitted from the transmission unit 524 to the operator, whether the operator adjusts the position of the puncture needle 51 based on the puncture plan before adjusting the angle, or It is arbitrary whether to adjust the position after adjusting the angle. Also, both may be performed in parallel.

After determining the position and angle of the puncture needle 51 of the puncture device 50 in one of the above-described modes, the operator starts the work of puncturing the subject P with the puncture needle 51 . The operator continues to puncture the subject P while maintaining the position and angle of the puncture needle 51 . During this time, the determination function 450 described above continues to match the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information acquired by the sensing function 447 from time to time with the puncture position information in the puncture planning information generated by the puncture planning function 449. It is determined whether or not they match the puncture angle information. In addition, the transmission unit 524 or the transmission function 451 continuously transmits the result of determination by the determination function 450 to the operator.

Since the marker 60 is attached to the body surface of the subject P, the marker 60 always follows the subject's P posture and breathing. Therefore, the sensor 52 in the puncture device 50 can generate sensor-based position information and sensor-based angle information that always follow the movement of the subject P. FIG.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as an additional function, the determination function 450 in the processing circuit 44 also has a function of determining whether or not the puncture needle 51 has reached the final position. That is, the determination function 450 determines whether the position of the puncture needle 51 matches the final position of the puncture needle 51 in the puncture plan information based on the sensor-based position information. The determination function 450 then transmits the determination result to the puncture device 50 via the transmission unit 46 .

The result of this determination is received by receiving section 523 of puncture device 50, and transmission section 524 transmits the result of determination to the operator. For example, when the transmission unit 524 is composed of a warning sound generator, the transmission unit 524 plays a melody when the puncture needle 51 reaches the final position, and informs the operator that the puncture needle 51 has reached the final position. Communicate what you have done.

9, the transmission unit 524 displays the first red lamp R1 related to the position information when the puncture needle 51 reaches the final position. , the green second lamp G1, the red third lamp R2, and the green fourth lamp G2 relating to the angle information are blinked at short intervals to inform the operator that the puncture needle 51 has reached the final position. do. Alternatively, when the puncture needle 51 reaches the final position, the transmission unit 524 outputs the first red lamp R1 and the second green lamp G1 related to the position information, the third red lamp R2 and the green second lamp R2 related to the angle information. 4 lamps G2 may be turned on to inform the operator that the puncture needle 51 has reached the final position.

Further, when the transmission function 451 displays the puncture status display screen shown in FIG. and are displayed in white to inform the operator that the puncture needle 51 has reached the final position. Alternatively, when the puncture needle 51 reaches the final position, the transmission function 451 displays text information "Reached the final position" on the display 42 to notify the operator that the puncture needle 51 has reached the final position. You can tell us what you did.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as an additional function, the scanning function 445 in the processing circuit 44 is added in a state in which the puncture needle 51 is punctured into the subject P according to an instruction from the operator after the puncture work is started. can be imaged. Specifically, the scanning function 445 operates the system control function 441, the preprocessing function 442, the reconstruction processing function 443, and the image processing function 444, and scans the subject P and the markers 60 attached to the subject P. , and the puncture needle 51 inserted into the subject P are additionally scanned using X-rays. Additional images acquired by scanning function 445 are displayed on display 42 .

Based on the additional image displayed on the display 42, the operator can grasp the state of the puncture needle 51 in the puncture device 50 at that time. That is, when the operator determines that the information transmitted from the transmission unit 524 or the transmission function 451 is not sufficient, the operator instructs the console device 40 from the input interface 43 to perform an additional scan. give instructions. As a result of this additional scanning, it is possible to directly grasp whether the puncture operation is progressing appropriately based on the image displayed on the display 42 .

Also, when the operator is troubled to determine whether the puncture needle 51 has reached the end position in the puncture plan, the operator performs an additional scan, and based on the additional image displayed on the display 42, the actual puncture needle position is determined. 51 has reached its end position.

As described above, according to the X-ray CT system according to the present embodiment, the scanning function 445 is used to detect the marker 60 attached to the subject P and the sensor 52 having the sensing unit 521 using X-rays. The sensor-based positional information measured using the sensing unit 521 of the sensor 52 is adjusted based on the image-based positional information calculated by analyzing the image obtained by the imaging. Therefore, the puncture position information and the puncture angle information of the puncture needle 51 using the sensor 52 can be accurately measured. In addition, it is not necessary for the manufacturer to frequently recalibrate the sensing portion 521 of the sensor 52, and the usability of the operator, who is the user, can be improved.

Further, during the puncture operation, the position information and the angle information of the puncture needle 51 can be specified at any time by the sensing unit 521 of the sensor 52, so the operator can check whether the puncture plan by the determination function 450 is met. You can know the result of the judgment at any time. Therefore, even an operator who is not skilled in puncturing can perform puncturing with the puncture needle 51 with high accuracy.

Imaging of the subject P using X-rays can also be limited to one or a very limited number of times for adjusting sensor-based position information by the sensing unit 521 . Therefore, the number of exposures to the subject P can be reduced as much as possible, and exposure of the subject P can be suppressed.

Furthermore, according to the X-ray CT system according to the present embodiment, even when it is desired to change the puncture plan and change the puncture start position of the puncture needle 51, the marker 60 can be peeled off from the subject P and the subject P is affixed to another position on the body surface, and the three-dimensional region including the marker 60 and the sensor 52 is rescanned using X-rays. Therefore, the puncture plan can be changed relatively easily. . Therefore, it is possible to flexibly cope with changes in the puncture plan compared to the conventional robot type puncture work.

In this embodiment, the scanning function 445 constitutes a scanning unit, the analyzing function 446 constitutes an analyzing unit, the sensing function 447 constitutes a sensing unit, and the adjusting function 448 constitutes an adjusting unit. constitutes Moreover, in this embodiment, the marker 60 constitutes the first marker, and the sensor 52 constitutes the second marker. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the puncture planning function 449 constitutes a puncture planning unit, the determination function 450 constitutes a determination unit, and the transmission unit 524 and the transmission function 451 constitute a transmission unit.
[Second embodiment]
The X-ray CT system according to the second embodiment modifies the first embodiment described above, and adds sensor-based position information and sensor-based angle information measured by the sensor 52 to an image acquired using the sensing function 447. By synthesizing the state of the puncture needle 51 that can be derived from the above and displaying this synthesized image on the display 42 as needed, the operator can virtually grasp the state of the puncture needle 51 in real time. . Hereinafter, portions different from the above-described first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram for explaining the internal configuration of the X-ray CT apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the X-ray CT apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is configured by adding a synthetic image generation function 452 of the processing circuit 44 to the X-ray CT apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. It is

The synthetic image generation function 452 synthesizes the position and orientation of the puncture needle 51 in real time with the image generated based on the result of scanning by the scanning function 445 and virtually inserts it. That is, the sensing function 447 executes processing for acquiring sensor-based position information and sensor-based angle information measured by the sensing unit 521 of the sensor 52 from the puncture device 50 via the receiving unit 45 at any time. The composite image generation function 452 generates a composite image by combining the image generated based on the result of scanning by the scan function 445 with the state of the puncture needle 51 derived from the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information. Execute the process. The display 42 displays the composite image generated by the composite image generation function 452. FIG.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a synthesized image displayed on the display 42. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, in the synthesized image displayed on the display 42, the flow line of the puncture needle 51 according to the puncture planning information generated by the puncture planning function 449 is displayed, for example, by dotted lines. Therefore, the operator may operate the puncture needle 51 to perform puncturing with the puncture needle 51 along the flow line representing the puncture plan.

The final position of the puncture needle 51 is indicated by point E in the composite image illustrated in FIG. That is, when the tip of the puncture needle 51 reaches the position of the point E, the operator can grasp from the synthesized image that the point is the final position of the puncture needle 51 . In this embodiment, based on the puncture plan information generated by the puncture plan function 449, the composite image generation function 452 generates a dotted line representing a flow line according to the puncture plan information and a point E representing the final position as a result of scanning. , and the display 42 displays this composite image.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, the operator of the puncture device 50 can virtualize the position and orientation of the puncture needle 51 at that time based on the composite image displayed on the display 42 even in the middle of the puncture operation. can be grasped. For example, while performing a puncture operation, the operator, while viewing a composite image including the puncture needle 51 virtually displayed on the display 42, can determine the angle of the puncture needle 51 and the distance from the tip of the puncture needle 51 to the final position point E. distance can be visually grasped. Note that the composite image generated by the composite image generation function 452 may be a three-dimensional image instead of the two-dimensional slice image shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 .

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the determination function 450 of the processing circuit 44 determines whether the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information match the puncture position information and the puncture angle information in the puncture plan information, respectively. judge. As a result of the determination, if at least one of the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information does not match the puncture planning information, the transmission function 451 transmits the determination result to the operator. For example, the transmission function 451 can display the display color of the puncture needle 51 when the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information match the puncture position information and the puncture angle information in the puncture plan information, respectively, and the sensor-based angle information. and the sensor-based angle information do not match the puncture position information and the puncture angle information in the puncture plan information, the display color of the puncture needle 51 is made different.

That is, the puncture position and puncture angle of puncture needle 51 measured by sensing unit 521 are directly reflected in the drawing position and drawing angle of puncture needle 51 displayed in the composite image. Therefore, the operator can adjust the position and angle of the puncture tool 50 based on the position and angle of the puncture needle 51 drawn in the composite image. Furthermore, the determination function 450, the synthetic image generation function 452, and the transmission function 451 are displayed in a synthetic image when at least one of the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information does not match the puncture plan information. The operator can be alerted by changing the color of the puncture needle 51 . For example, in this case, if the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information match the puncture plan information, the puncture needle 51 is displayed in blue, and the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information are displayed. does not match the puncture plan information, the puncture needle 51 is displayed in red. However, even if the result of the determination is not transmitted to the operator by the transmission function 451, the operator can make a visual judgment based on the composite image of the puncture needle 51 displayed on the display 42. good.

Further, the operator can input an instruction from the console device 40 to cause the scanning function 445 of the processing circuit 44 to scan the subject P again. In this case, the scan function 445 scans the subject P, the marker 60 attached to the subject P, and the sensor 52 using X-rays. Then, the synthesized image generation function 452 synthesizes the image of the puncture needle 51 in the state calculated from the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information with the newly acquired image. The display 42 then displays the newly synthesized image. By looking at the display result, the operator can reconfirm the position of the important part that should not be damaged by the puncture needle 51, or reconfirm the distance from the current position of the puncture needle 51 to the final position. can do.

Further, in this embodiment, the determination function 450 determines whether the puncture needle 51 has reached the final position based on the sensor-based position information. When the determination function 450 determines that the puncture needle 51 has reached the final position, the transmission function 451 and the composite image generation function 452 draw the puncture needle 51 in a different color on the display 42 to generate a composite image. indicate. For example, in this case, the puncture needle 51 is displayed in blue until the puncture needle 51 reaches the final position, but when the puncture needle 51 reaches the final position, the puncture needle 51 is displayed in yellow. Thereby, the transmission function 451 can transmit the determination result of the determination function 450 .

As can be seen from the above, in the present embodiment, the console device 40 does not need to transmit the determination result of the determination function 450 to the puncture device 50 . , the receiving unit 523 can be omitted. Moreover, in the puncture device 50, it is possible to omit the transmission section 524 for transmitting the determination result to the operator. However, also in the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the transmitting section 46, the receiving section 523, and the transmitting section 524. FIG. Further, the transmission unit 524 provided in the puncture device 50 may also transmit the determination result to the operator in the same manner as in the above-described first embodiment.

As described above, according to the X-ray CT system according to this embodiment, the number of times of X-ray imaging can be reduced more than the X-ray CT system according to the first embodiment described above. That is, the virtual puncture needle 51 calculated from the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information is combined with the scanned image when performing the zero adjustment, and the generated combined image is displayed on the display 42. Therefore, the operator can grasp the state of the puncture needle 51 inside the body of the subject P more easily. Therefore, it is possible to improve the reliability of the puncturing work and reduce the number of times of scanning using X-rays during the puncturing process.

In addition, when there is an important part such as a large blood vessel in the vicinity of the treatment target part, the operator, while watching the composite image displayed on the display 42, avoids the important part that should not be damaged by the puncture needle 51. can be done. Alternatively, when the tip of the puncture needle 51 approaches an important site that should not be damaged by the puncture needle 51, the scan function 445 is used again to scan the subject P using X-rays, and the accuracy at that point is determined. You can acquire the correct image again and check it. It is also possible to provide a notification function for notifying the operator when the puncture needle 51 approaches an important site that should not be damaged. This notification function can notify the operator by, for example, causing the transmission unit 524 to sound a buzzer.

Also in this embodiment, similarly to the above-described first embodiment, the scanning function 445 constitutes a scanning unit, the analysis function 446 constitutes an analysis unit, and the sensing function 447 constitutes a sensing unit. , and the adjustment function 448 constitutes an adjustment unit. Also in this embodiment, the marker 60 constitutes the first marker, and the sensor 52 constitutes the second marker. Furthermore, also in this embodiment, the puncture planning function 449 constitutes a puncture planning unit, the determination function 450 constitutes a determination unit, and the transmission function 451 constitutes a transmission unit.

[Modified Examples of First and Second Embodiments]
In the above-described first and second embodiments, the sensing portion 521 of the sensor 52 measures the distance between the marker 60 and the puncture device 50 including the sensor 52 and the angle of the puncture device 50 including the sensor 52. Various methods are conceivable for measuring the distance between the marker 60 and the puncture device 50 and the angle of the puncture device 50 . For example, instead of the sensor 52 or in addition to the sensor 52, a camera sensor is installed around the X-ray CT apparatus 1, and using this camera sensor, the distance between the marker 60 and the puncture device 50, , the angle of the puncture device 50 can also be measured.

In the following, instead of or in addition to the sensor 52 in the first embodiment, a camera sensor 70 is provided, and the camera sensor 70 measures the distance of the puncture tool 50 and the angle of the puncture tool 50. An example is given. It is obvious that this modified example can be similarly applied to the second embodiment as well.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an X-ray CT apparatus 1 according to a modification of the first embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 1 described above. As shown in FIG. 14, in this modified example, a camera sensor 70 is provided around the X-ray CT apparatus 1 . The installation location of the camera sensor 70 is arbitrary, but may be, for example, the ceiling of the room in which the X-ray CT apparatus 1 is installed, or the vicinity of the rotating frame 13 in the gantry device 10 . In other words, the camera sensor 70 may be set at a position such that both the marker 60 attached to the subject P and the puncture device 50 are photographed using the camera sensor 70 . In addition, in this modification, the X-ray CT system is configured by the X-ray CT apparatus 1, the puncture device 50, the marker 60, and the camera sensor . The puncture device 50 and the marker 60 constitute a puncture work unit according to the present embodiment.

The camera sensor 70 is a sensor capable of calculating distances and angles based on captured images. In this embodiment, in particular, the vicinity of the treatment target site of the subject P, the marker 60 attached to the subject P, and the puncture device 50 are imaged, and the imaged images are transmitted to the console device 40 . The camera sensor 70 and the console device 40 may be connected with a wired cable or wirelessly.

The receiver 45 of the console device 40 receives the image from the camera sensor 70, and the sensing function 447 acquires this image. The sensing function 447 then analyzes the image and identifies the positions of the marker 60 and the puncture device 50, respectively. Thereby, the sensing function 447 obtains sensor-based positional information of each of the marker 60 and the puncture device 50 . That is, in this modified example, the distances between the puncture device 50 and the plurality of sub-markers 62 of the marker 60 are each specified by analyzing the image, and the average of the specified distances is calculated. The distance between 50 and marker 60 is calculated. The sensing function 447 also analyzes the acquired image to identify the angle of the puncture tool 50 , that is, the angle of the puncture needle 51 . The sensing function 447 thereby obtains sensor-based angular information of the puncture device 50 .

Subsequent processing in the processing circuit 44 is the same as in the first embodiment described above. That is, adjustment function 448 adjusts the respective sensor-based positional information of marker 60 and penetrator 50 based on the image-based positional information of marker 60 and penetrator 50 , respectively, identified by analysis function 446 . That is, the camera sensor 70 is zeroed based on the image-based location information of each of the marker 60 and the penetrator 50 identified by the analysis function 446 .

In this modified example, since the puncture device 50 does not necessarily have the sensor 52, the position information of the entire puncture device 50 is used for zero adjustment. Note that it is possible to perform zero adjustment using, for example, a portion of the puncture device 50 instead of the entire puncture device 50 . For example, the tip of the puncture needle 51 may be identified by image analysis, and the sensor-based position information of the tip of the puncture needle 51 may be adjusted based on the image-based position information of the tip of the puncture needle 51. good.

Also in this modification, similarly to the above-described first embodiment, the sensing function 447 uses the image acquired from the camera sensor 70 to calculate the distance between the marker 60 and the puncture device 50, This distance may be used as sensor-based positional information for each of marker 60 and puncture device 50 . In this case, the analysis function 446 analyzes the image generated based on the scanning result of the scanning function 445, calculates the distance between the marker 60 and the puncture device 50, and calculates the distance between the marker 60 and the puncture device 50. Image-based position information of each of the puncture devices 50 may be used.

In the modified example described above, the camera sensor 70 is used to measure the sensor-based position information of the marker 60 and the puncture device 50, and the sensor-based angle information of the puncture device 50. However, camera sensor 70 may measure sensor-based positional information of each of marker 60 and puncture 50 , but not sensor-based angle information of puncture 50 . In this case, the sensor 52 in the puncture device 50 would be necessary to measure the angle of the puncture device 50 .

As described above, according to the X-ray CT system according to this modified example, similarly to the above-described first and second embodiments, an image generated based on the result of scanning executed by the scanning function 445 is displayed. can be used to zero the camera sensor 70 . Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to frequently calibrate the camera sensor 70, and the usability of the operator, who is the user, can be improved.

In this modified example, similarly to the above-described first and second embodiments, the scanning function 445 constitutes a scanning unit, the analysis function 446 constitutes an analysis unit, and the sensing function 447 constitutes the sensing section, and the adjustment function 448 constitutes the adjustment section. However, in this modified example, the marker 60 constitutes the first marker, and the puncture device 50 constitutes the second marker. Furthermore, in this modification, similarly to the above-described first and second embodiments, the puncture planning function 449 constitutes a puncture planning unit, the determination function 450 constitutes a determination unit, and transmission A function 451 constitutes a transmission unit.

Although several embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel apparatus and methods described herein can be embodied in various other forms. In addition, various omissions, substitutions, and alterations may be made to the forms of the apparatus and methods described herein without departing from the spirit of the invention. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms and modifications as fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... X-ray CT apparatus, 10... Mounting apparatus, 11... X-ray tube, 12... X-ray detector, 13... Rotating frame, 14... X-ray high-voltage apparatus, 15... Control device, 16... Wedge, 17... Collimator , 30... bed device, 31... base, 32... bed driving device, 33... top plate, 34... support frame, 40... console device, 41... memory, 42... display, 43... input interface, 44... processing circuit, 45 -- Receiving part 46 -- Transmitting part 50 -- Puncture device 51 -- Puncture needle 52 -- Sensor 52 a -- Opening 52 b -- First plane 52 c -- Second plane 53 -- Holding part 60 -- Marker 61 ... Aperture 62 ... Submarker 70 ... Camera sensor 421 ... First region 422 ... Second region 441 ... System control function 442 ... Preprocessing function 443 ... Reconstruction processing function 444 ... Image processing function 445 Scan function 446 Analysis function 447 Sensing function 448 Adjusting function 449 Puncture planning function 450 Determination function 451 Transmission function 452 Synthetic image generation function 521 Sensing unit 522 Transmission Part 523... Receiving part 524... Transmission part 531... Insertion part

Claims (15)

a scanning unit that uses X-rays to scan a three-dimensional region including a first marker attached to a subject and a second marker provided on a puncture needle inserted into the subject;
an analysis unit that identifies image-based position information for each of the first marker and the second marker by analyzing an image generated based on the result of the scanning;
an adjusting unit that adjusts the sensor-based positional information regarding each of the first marker and the second marker, which is obtained by a sensing unit using a sensor, based on the image-based positional information;
with
the first marker includes a plurality of sub-markers whose positional relationship is maintained;
The analysis unit identifies the image-based position information for each of the plurality of sub-markers;
The X-ray CT system, wherein the sensing unit acquires the sensor-based position information for each of the plurality of sub-markers. the second marker is the sensor;
The sensing unit acquires position information of each of the plurality of sub-markers with respect to the second marker as the sensor-based position information.
An X-ray CT system according to claim 1. 3. The X-ray CT system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor includes a sensor capable of measuring a length or a camera sensor. 4. The X-ray CT system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a display section for displaying an image generated based on the scanning result. 5. The puncture planning unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a puncture planning unit that generates puncture planning information including puncture position information and puncture angle information of the puncture needle based on the image generated based on the scan results. An X-ray CT system according to any one of the preceding claims. The sensing unit uses the sensor to acquire the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information of the puncture needle at any time,
The X-ray CT system determines whether the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information respectively match the puncture position information and the puncture angle information in the puncture plan information. 6. The X-ray CT system of claim 5, further comprising a section. 7. The X-ray CT system according to claim 6, further comprising a transmission section provided in said puncture needle for transmitting the determination result of said determination section to an operator. The puncture plan information further includes information about the final position of the puncture needle;
The determination unit determines whether the puncture needle has reached a final position,
8. The X-ray CT system according to claim 7, wherein when said determination unit determines that said puncture needle has reached the final position, said transmission unit transmits the determination result of said determination unit to an operator. The scanning unit is capable of acquiring an additional image obtained by capturing a state in which the puncture needle is punctured into the subject,
5. The X-ray CT system of claim 4, wherein said display also displays said additional image. The sensing unit uses the sensor to acquire the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information of the puncture needle at any time,
The X-ray CT system generates a composite image by combining the image generated based on the result of the scan with the state of the puncture needle derived from the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information. 5. The X-ray CT system of claim 4, further comprising a synthetic image generator. 11. The X-ray CT system according to claim 10, wherein said display also displays said composite image. a puncture planning unit that generates puncture planning information including at least puncture position information and puncture angle information of the puncture needle based on an image generated based on the result of the scan;
a determination unit that determines whether the sensor-based position information and the sensor-based angle information respectively match the puncture position information and the puncture angle information in the puncture plan information;
12. The x-ray CT system of Claim 11, further comprising: 13. The X-ray CT system according to claim 12, wherein said display unit displays the judgment result of said judgment unit. The puncture plan information further includes at least information about the final position of the puncture needle,
The determination unit determines whether the puncture needle has reached a final position,
14. The X-ray CT system according to claim 13, wherein when said determination unit determines that said puncture needle has reached the final position, said display unit displays the determination result of said determination unit. A control method for an X-ray CT system when specifying the position and orientation of a puncture needle using the X-ray CT system,
The X-ray CT system includes:
an analysis unit that identifies image-based location information by analyzing an image generated based on the results of a scan using X-rays;
an adjustment unit that adjusts the sensor-based position information obtained by the sensing unit using the sensor based on the image-based position information;
with
The method of controlling the X-ray CT system includes:
The X-ray CT system scans a three-dimensional region including a first marker attached to a subject and a second marker provided on a puncture needle inserted into the subject using X-rays . determining image-based location information for each of the first and second markers by analyzing the generated images generated by performing
the adjustment unit adjusting sensor-based position information obtained by a sensing unit using a sensor for each of the first marker and the second marker based on the image-based position information;
Here, the first marker includes a plurality of sub-markers whose positional relationship is maintained,
determining image-based location information for the first marker includes determining the image-based location information for each of the plurality of sub-markers;
the sensing unit obtains the sensor-based position information for each of the plurality of sub-markers;
A control method for an X-ray CT system .

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