JPH0283780A - Medical information data base system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the diagnosing speed of a doctor and to improve the accuracy and the preciseness of a diagnosis, etc., by retrieving and reading information stored in an information storing device according to part designation by a part designating device. CONSTITUTION:Under control by an input controller 10, position designation, numerical values, characters, etc., for a console 11, a mouse 12, a tablet 13, etc., and medical information for CT, MRI, etc., 14 and a picture input device 15 are stored in a data storing part 24. Further, required information is retrieved and read according to the designation by a part index 42 to identify the respective parts of a human organism. Thus, medical information such as picture information, numerical value information, and knowledge information can be systematized and held corresponding to the retrieved information, the retrieved information can be expanded corresponding to the addition of the parts, and a data base can be extended. Further, necessary medical information can be extracted from corresponding retrieved information by designating the arbitrary part of the human organism.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention is a system for specifying parts of the human body using medical images and numerical information of various parts of the human body as well as knowledge information such as doctor's findings. The present invention relates to a medical information database system that systematically stores information in a database based on methods and makes it possible to systematically extract, compare, and observe information on necessary parts during diagnosis and education.

(Prior Art) In addition to conventional X-ray fluoroscopic imaging devices, in recent years, X-ray CT (an imaging device for X-ray attenuation coefficient distribution in a cross section of the human body), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging device), etc. have been provided. Become,
The types and amounts of medical images, numerical information, etc. that are the targets of diagnosis and observation are rapidly increasing.

When performing diagnosis etc. using such various images, etc.,
It would also be very desirable to have a system that can store, select, process, and display a large amount of various images as materials for medical education such as anatomy. Based on such demands, systems for storing and managing a large amount of images from X-rays, CTSMRI, etc., and systems that enable various image processing and the like to be used for diagnosis by doctors, etc., have been provided.

The block diagram shown in FIG. 4 is an example of a configuration of an image management system that uses a large-capacity auxiliary storage device such as an optical disk to focus on filing a large amount of images of this type, and facilitates storage and retrieval of these images. This is what is shown.

The original image data taken by CT, MR1, etc. 14 and read by an image input device 15 such as an image scanner is organized and standardized as image data by an image input unit 72, and an index number etc. is added by an image management unit 71. Been,
For example, the image is stored in an image storage unit 70 consisting of a large capacity storage device such as an optical disk. By specifying this index number etc. from the console 11, the corresponding image data is read from the image storage section 70 and displayed on the monitor 61.

There are also image processing systems that are equipped with various image processing functions for photographed images, and are designed to facilitate diagnosis by emphasizing subtle color differences and making it easier to distinguish lesions.

In the image processing system shown in FIG.
4, and an image input device 15 such as an image scanner
The image data manually generated from the image data is stored in the image memory 80, and the image processing unit 81 executes various image processing such as emphasis, averaging, various conversions and corrections, calculation of chromaticity information, and subtraction between images. , the resulting image is displayed on the monitor 61.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in such conventional image management systems or image processing systems, management such as adding a number to image data and storing it has only been performed. For this reason, a system room was not sufficient to store and search large amounts of medical data. In addition, although individual images can be displayed and processed, knowledge information such as numerical information, disease name, anatomical information, and diagnostic findings of the doctor at the time related to the image is not handled. Ta. Therefore, it has not been possible to store and accumulate knowledge information that has an important meaning in these diagnoses, etc., and display it in association with each other to support the diagnosis, etc. Furthermore, it is difficult to compare multiple images, such as comparison with past clinical images or comparison with normal images, and the method is still insufficient for use in diagnosis, education, etc.

This invention was made in view of such conventional circumstances, and it uses various images and numerical information obtained by X-ray fluoroscopy, CT, MRl, etc., as well as knowledge information such as doctor's findings and anatomical information. In addition to systematically accumulating and storing this information in a computer system, this information can be easily added, expanded, and searched, and images and knowledge information can be quickly and easily used by clinicians and medical educators. The purpose is to provide a medical information database system that can provide medical information.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problem) In order to achieve such an object, the medical information database system according to the present invention includes a part specifying means for specifying an arbitrary part of the human body, and a part specifying means for specifying an arbitrary part of the human body. A search information holding means that holds search information corresponding to the region specified by the means, and knowledge information such as doctor's findings along with image information and numerical information while corresponding to the search information held in this search information holding means. a medical information storage means for storing the information; and a search means for reading out the information stored in the medical information storage means in accordance with the search information held in the search information holding means in response to an arbitrary region specification by the region specification means. It is prepared and configured.

(Function) A medical image database system with such a configuration can store not only image information obtained by CT or MRl, but also knowledge information such as numerical information, doctor's diagnostic findings, and anatomical information. It can be stored in correspondence with any part of the human body specified by the part specifying means. That is, the search information corresponding to the designation of any part of the human body is held in the search information holding means, and the medical information such as the image information, numerical information, and knowledge information is organized and stored in correspondence with this search information. It can be stored in the means.

Furthermore, the database can be easily expanded by expanding the search information in response to the addition of parts, etc.

Then, in order to systematically retrieve the medical information stored in this database, by specifying an arbitrary part of the human body using the part specifying means, search information corresponding to this part is read out from the search information holding means, According to this search information, medical information of a corresponding region can be retrieved from the medical information storage means.

In this way, medical information on any part of the human body can be retrieved and displayed easily and quickly, making it possible to make effective use of this database system.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing the configuration of a medical information database system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As input devices, there are input devices such as a console 11, a mouse 12, a tablet 13, etc. for position designation, numerical values, characters, etc. under the control of the human control unit]0. In addition, there is a CT SMRI etc. 14 that takes diagnostic images etc., and this CT, MRI etc. 1
Image input device 1 that inputs the image data obtained in step 4.
There are 5. Examples of the image input device 15 include a method of reading information through a medium such as an optical disk on which a large amount of image information is recorded, and a method of using an image scanner for image input.

Further, as an output device, under the control of the output control section 60,
For example, a monitor 61 using a color display or the like, a laser printer 62 capable of outputting clear images at high speed, etc. are arranged.

The system control unit 20 is a central unit that controls the entire database system of this embodiment. This system control unit 2
0, a search image display section 21, a search image management section 22, a search image data storage section 23, a data storage section 24,
Data search unit 25, image processing unit 26, output screen configuration unit 2
7. A database management section 30, a human power control section 10, an output control section 60, and other sections are provided.

Search image data 23 that holds a continuous search image of the whole human body (or a part thereof) from which each part of the human body can be separated, and search image management that manages the search images held in this search image data 23. There is a section 22. The search image display section 21 has a function of displaying the search image on the display screen of the monitor 6 via the output control section 60 while controlling both sections 22 and 23, and accepting the specification of any part of the human body. is fulfilled.

The data storage unit 24 stores images and numerical information manually inputted from a CT, MRI, etc. 14 or an image input device 15, and findings inputted from the console 11 etc. in response to instructions from a human-powered device such as the console 11 or a mouse 12. The knowledge information and the like are stored in the database via the database management section 30. The data storage unit 24 not only adds new information, parts and items, but also replaces data.
I am also in charge of deleting data that is no longer needed. The accumulation of various information on the database is performed by the search image management section 2.
The search is performed corresponding to each part of the human body in the search image data 23 under the management of No. 2, and also corresponding to each search information under the management of the database management section 30 corresponding thereto.

The data search unit 25 searches images, knowledge information, etc. stored by the data storage unit 24 while corresponding to the search information etc. via the database management unit 30 according to instructions from an input device such as the mouse 12. It is something to read out.

In addition, the image processing unit 26 performs various image processing such as filtering, enhancement, and image calculation on the image information retrieved from the database, and makes the image easier to see and the lesion part to be easily distinguished, so as to perform diagnosis, etc. It will be provided to

The output screen configuration unit 27 configures the output images, numerical values, knowledge information, etc. obtained in this manner by dividing the screen into a form that is easy to view and compare, and displays the output image on the monitor 61 or laser printer 62 via the output control unit 60. etc.

The database management unit 30 is in charge of integrated management of the database in the system of this embodiment, and is subordinate to the index management unit 40 that manages search information, and the data management unit 40 that manages various data such as images, numerical values, and knowledge information. It has a management section 50.

In addition, in the system of this embodiment, in addition to the part index 42 for identifying each part of the human body, indexes 41 and 43 related to anatomical charts and organs are also provided under the index management unit 40 as search information for the database. We are prepared. Furthermore, the TI value in CT/MHI, T2
A clinical value index 44 that searches based on clinical numerical information such as values, CT values, etc., and an index 4 that uses diagnostic information as a key
5. It also has an index 46 for related disease names, etc.

Further, under the data management section 50, a plurality of data file sections are provided to store each data. That is, there is clinical image data 51 that stores clinical image information, clinical value data 52 that holds clinical value information, and knowledge data 53 that stores knowledge information such as findings and anatomical information. Further, anatomical diagram data 57 that holds image information such as anatomical diagrams of various parts of the human body and anatomical diagrams of each organ, normal image data 28 and normal value data 59 that are model information of a normal human body, etc. are stored on a magnetic disk or Each is provided as a file on a mass storage device such as an optical disk.

From each index file 41 to 49, writing/reading access to each data file 51 to 59 is made easy (as shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1).
Linked by multiple pieces of search information.

Next, the operation and usage method of this embodiment system will be explained based on the drawings of FIGS. 1 to 3.

First, for searching each part of the human body, which is the basis of the system, a substantially continuous search image of the whole (or part) of the human body is created 1 and stored in the search image data 23.

Next, an anatomical diagram and its information 4 for each part or organ of the human body are created and registered in the anatomical diagram data 57 in advance. We also collected images and numerical information during normal conditions (7
, be registered in this database. These normal images and numerical information are stored in normal image data 58 and normal value data 59. Of course, these basic information
It is not necessary to register everything in advance,
While using this system, it is also possible to register, add to, and expand this information one after another.

Then, each time a clinical patient is diagnosed, diagnostic images, clinical value information, etc. obtained at that time are additionally registered one after another. At this time, the findings of the doctor in charge of the diagnosis are also registered and accumulated in the database as knowledge information.

Accumulation in the database is performed in response to the search information of the part index 42 corresponding to the color of each part of the human body, and at the same time, the related anatomical chart index 41 and organ index 43 as well as the clinical value index 44 corresponding to numerical information are stored. , a diagnostic information index 45 based on various types of diagnostic information, a disease name index 49 based on disease names, and other search information.

In this way, clinical data is input via the input control section 10 and is controlled by the database management section 3 under the control of the data storage section 24.
It is accumulated in the database through 0. At the same time, along with such input clinical data, anatomical diagrams, normal images, numerical data, etc. based on normal values already registered in the database are read out from the database through the database management unit 30 in response to display requests from the keyboard] 1, mouse 12, etc. , the output screen configuration unit 27 and the output control unit 60 can be displayed on the monitor 61.

FIG. 2 is an example of a screen display on the monitor 61 when inputting clinical data. A search image 20] is displayed at the upper left of the screen, and a region is specified by specifying an arbitrary region on the search image 201 using, for example, the mouse 12. In this manner, human-generated clinical data, knowledge information, etc. are stored corresponding to the designated site. Input clinical images and the like are displayed in the lower right area 204 of the screen. In addition, an anatomical diagram 202 and a normal image 20 based on normal values corresponding to this designated region are also included.
3 etc. are displayed, for example, at the top right and bottom left of the screen. Such screen configuration is performed by the output screen configuration section 27 in response to a display request from the mouse 12 or the like.

In this way, normal images, anatomical diagrams, etc. are displayed simultaneously with the input clinical data, and diagnosis can be made without comparing these data. At this time, it is possible to perform comparative diagnosis not only with normal images but also with past data. Furthermore, it is also possible to input the doctor's findings and the like at the same time and register them on the database.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the second screen displayed on the monitor 61. In this example, an anatomical diagram 301 is displayed at the top left of the screen, a normal image 302 is displayed at the top right, and a CT scan is displayed at the bottom left of the screen.
A clinical image 303 taken of a patient by a camera or an MR1 14 is displayed, and knowledge data 304 such as a doctor's findings are displayed in the lower right corner.

Note that FIGS. 2 and 3 above show model examples of the display on the monitor 61, and in addition to this display method,
It is possible to display, compare and observe any combination.

In addition, if a doctor looks at the clinical data and determines that it is a lesion, for example, the site name or possible disease name, normal image, CT value, Tl value, T2 value, etc. It is possible to immediately read out the data from the database and display it on the monitor 61 by specifying the part using .

Further, at this time, for example, if the doctor determines that the knowledge information is insufficient, he or she can input information such as disease name, abnormal value, etc. from the console 11 or the like to add information as know-how.

In this way, along with image data, CT values at abnormal times,
Numerical information such as T1 value and T2 value, possible disease names, and findings can be entered and stored in a medical information database containing knowledge data as a doctor's know-how. By effectively utilizing this information, it becomes possible to support doctors in making diagnosis easier and more accurate. In addition, users can freely use and construct these databases, so
It is also possible to create a more advanced system.

Furthermore, in this system, since the anatomical map data is also constructed on the pig base, this information can be retrieved, displayed, and observed by simple operations such as specifying a region using the mouse 12.

Furthermore, this system is equipped with an image processing unit 26, which enables various types of image processing on arbitrary images. It is also possible to perform processing such as displaying a clinical image by clarifying the differences using image subtraction. Such image processing is useful not only in diagnosis but also in education and the like to facilitate recognition and hasten understanding.

In this way, in this system, for example, how is the image and numerical information different between data containing an actual lesion and normal data? , and what are the names of the different parts? You can easily find answers to questions such as.

In addition, since it is equipped with anatomical chart data 57, anatomical information can be easily obtained without pulling out thick anatomical text, making it useful for educating young doctors or supporting diagnosis in the field. It will also be useful, and it is expected that the speed of diagnosis will be improved.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the system configuration of the embodiment described above, but can be implemented in various embodiments.

For example, it is of course possible to configure the input device to use a trackball or the like to specify the position, or to input diagnostic information from an X-ray imaging device or other medical equipment manually. In addition, as a simpler configuration, it is also possible to configure the system with only a part specifying means by specifying a code, etc., a database part index, clinical image/numeric value and knowledge data files, and means for storing and retrieving them. .

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above in detail, according to the medical information database system according to the present invention, X-ray photography, CT, MR
In addition to image information obtained by I, etc., knowledge information such as numerical information, diagnostic findings by doctors, and anatomical information can also be systematically stored on a database. In addition, by specifying any part of the human body and storing and searching the above information according to the search information corresponding to this part specification, it is easy to add to and expand the database and search. A pig base containing such knowledge information can be freely constructed and used, and a more developed system can be created depending on the application.

Therefore, by using the medical information database system according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the speed of diagnosis by doctors, improve the precision and accuracy of diagnosis, etc., and reduce the burden on users such as the amount of work required for investigations. You can expect it. Also,
Even in fields in which the attending physician has little knowledge or experience, it becomes possible to obtain sufficient knowledge and make decisions by utilizing the knowledge information etc. accumulated in the medical information database system of the present invention. Comparative diagnosis of abnormal cases can also be easily performed using the abundant accumulated clinical data and knowledge information. Furthermore, since systematic knowledge and information can be easily obtained in the field of medical education, it can be effectively and widely used to support education.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a medical information database system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing screen display examples in the embodiment system, and FIG. 4 is a conventional image management system. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional image processing system. 10... Input control section 11... Console 12.
...Mouse 13...Tablet 14...CT,
MRl etc. 15... Image input device 20... System control section 21... Search image display section 22... Search image management section 23... Search image data 24... Data storage section 25... Data search unit 26... Image processing unit 27... Output screen configuration unit 30... Database management unit 40... Index management unit 41... Anatomy chart index 42... Part index 43.
...Organ index 44...Clinical value index 45...Diagnostic information index 49...Disease name index 50...Data management section 51...Clinical image data 52...Clinical value data 53...Knowledge Data 57...Anatomical chart data 58...Normal image data 59...Normal value data 60...Output control section 6
1... Monitor 62... Laser printer agent AfCFI+± Yasuo Miyoshi

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Part specifying means for specifying any part of the human body, search information holding means for holding search information corresponding to the part specified by this part specifying means, and search information held in this search information holding means medical information storage means for storing knowledge information such as doctor's findings along with image information and numerical information; A medical information database system comprising: a search means for reading out according to search information held in the search information holding means.