JPH04246783A - Image display method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily recognize the remarked part of an image observed last time and its view on observation by inputting, storing, and reproducing the position information of the remarked area of the image and the view on observation in the area by conforming to each other. CONSTITUTION:When a shadow 16a judged as a focus is found ount by observing the image 15 displayed on a display screen 45, the shadow 16a is enclosed with a frame 17a by using a keyboard 46. When the view on observation of the shadow 16a is inputted from the keyboard 46, an input result is displayed within an observation view frame 18a. The position information of the frame 17a and a content recorded on the observation view frame 18a are sent to an optical disk driving part 41, and are conformed to image data, and are recorded on an optical disk 34. When the imaged supplied for observation is displayed again, the image 15 is displayed on the display screen 45 by designating the image from the keyboard 46. Thence, the observation view frame 18a on which the frame 17a and the view on observation are written is displayed by depressing a specific key on the keyboard 46.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image display method for displaying a reproduced image based on image data.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art It is practiced in various fields to obtain image data by reading recorded radiation images, perform appropriate image processing on this image data, and then output a reproduced image.

For example, an X-ray image is recorded using an X-ray film with a low gamma value designed to be suitable for subsequent image processing, and an
Read line images and convert them into electrical signals (image data),
By performing image processing on this image data and then reproducing it as a visible image in a photocopy, etc., it is possible to obtain a reproduced image with good image quality performance such as contrast, sharpness, and graininess. (See Publication No. 5193).

[0004] Also, the applicant of the present application has reported that radiation (X-rays, α
When irradiated with rays, β-rays, γ-rays, electron beams, ultraviolet rays, etc., a part of this radiation energy is accumulated, and then when excited light such as visible light is irradiated, the accumulation exhibits stimulated luminescence depending on the accumulated energy. Using stimulable phosphor (photostimulable phosphor),
Radiographic image information of a subject such as a human body is recorded on a sheet of stimulable phosphor, and this stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with excitation light such as a laser beam to generate stimulated luminescence. A radiation image recording and reproducing system has already been proposed in which image data is obtained by photoelectrically reading the exhaustion light, and a radiation image of the subject based on this image data is output as a visible image to a recording material such as a photographic light-sensitive material or a CRT display device, etc. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 12429/1983, No. 56-
No. 11395, No. 55-163472, No. 56-1
No. 04645, No. 55-116340, etc.).

[0005] This system has the practical advantage of being able to record images over a much wider range of radiation exposure compared to conventional radiographic systems using silver halide photography. In other words, in stimulable phosphors, it is recognized that the amount of emitted light that is stimulated and emitted by excitation after accumulation is proportional to the amount of radiation exposure over an extremely wide range, and therefore the amount of radiation exposure varies depending on various imaging conditions. Even if the value varies considerably, the amount of stimulated luminescence light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet is read by the photoelectric conversion means by setting the reading gain to an appropriate value and converted into an electrical signal. Recording materials such as photographic materials, C
By outputting a radiation image as a visible image on an RT display device or the like, it is possible to obtain a radiation image that is not affected by fluctuations in radiation exposure amount.

[0006] When a visible image based on the image data obtained as described above is reproduced and displayed on an image display device such as a CRT display device and observed, observations of the image may be recorded. Although these observational findings may be recorded on paper, it is also possible to consider a system in which they are entered from a keyboard, etc., and stored in association with the image data that carries the observed image, for future reference. It will be done.

[0007]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In a system that stores an observed image in association with the image data that carries the image once observed as described above, searches for it as necessary, and displays it again, it is difficult to observe the image again. When an image is played back and displayed, it is difficult to tell where the focus was, such as a lesion, on the image at first glance, and it is only after reading the previous observation findings that the area that was noticed last time can be found. In some cases, observation may be time-consuming.

[0008] In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention enables the user to understand at a glance the point of interest observed during the previous observation when taking a photograph again, and also to identify the point of interest without having to read the observation findings from the previous observation from the beginning. The purpose of this invention is to provide an image display method that allows observation findings to be grasped.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] An image display method of the present invention for achieving the above object includes: ◆ Displaying an image based on image data on a display screen; ◆ Designating a desired area on the image; ◆Input the observation findings corresponding to the desired area of the image, ◆Associate the position information of the desired area with the observation findings, and input the position information and observation findings of the desired area. ◆ When displaying the image based on the image data on the display screen again, the desired information based on the stored position information is stored in association with the image data carrying the image displayed on the display screen. The present invention is characterized in that the area to be targeted is clearly indicated on the image displayed on the display screen, and the observation finding is displayed in an area other than the desired area on the display screen.

0010

[Operation] The image display method of the present invention associates a desired area on an image displayed on a display image surface with an observation finding corresponding to the desired area, and also carries this displayed image. It is also stored in association with image data,
When observing again, the desired area is clearly indicated on the above image, and the observation findings entered during the previous observation are displayed in areas other than the desired area on the display screen, so that the observation findings input during the previous observation are The point of interest and the observation findings of that point can be grasped at a glance, improving the convenience of observation.

[0011]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, an example will be described in which an X-ray image of the chest of a human body is obtained using the above-mentioned stimulable phosphor sheet.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of an X-ray imaging apparatus.

[0013] From the X-ray source 11 of this X-ray imaging device 10,
The X-rays 12 are irradiated toward the chest 13a of the human body 13, and the X-rays 12a that have passed through the human body 13 are the stimulable phosphor sheet 1.
4, a transmitted X-ray image of the chest 13a of the human body is accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 14 at approximately the same size as the chest 13a.

FIG. 2 shows a chest X-ray of a human body photographed and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 14 using the X-ray imaging apparatus 10.
FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a line image.

It is assumed that a chest X-ray image 15 has been photographed and recorded on almost the entire surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 14, and two shadows 16a and 16b that are considered to be lesions can be seen on this image.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of an X-ray image reading device.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 14 on which an X-ray image has been recorded is set at a predetermined position in the X-ray image reading device 20. The stimulable phosphor sheet 14 set in this predetermined position
is conveyed (sub-scanning) in the direction of arrow Y by a sheet conveying means 22 such as an endless belt driven by a motor 21. On the other hand, a light beam 24 emitted from a laser light source 23 is reflected and deflected by a rotating polygon mirror 26 that is driven by a motor 25 and rotates at high speed in the direction of the arrow, passes through an fθ lens 27, and then changes its optical path by a mirror 28 to form a sheet 14. , and main scanning is performed in the direction of arrow X, which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of sub-scanning (direction of arrow Y). Stimulated luminescence light 29 is emitted from the part of the sheet 14 that is irradiated with the excitation light 24, and the amount of stimulated luminescence light 29 corresponds to the accumulated and recorded X-ray image information.
is guided by a light guide 30 and detected photoelectrically by a photomultiplier 31. The light guide 30 is made by molding a light-guiding material such as an acrylic plate, and is arranged so that a linear incident end surface 30a extends along the main scanning line on the stimulable phosphor sheet 14. The light receiving surface of the photomultiplier 31 is coupled to the annularly formed exit end surface 30b. The stimulated luminescence light 29 that enters the light guide 30 from the entrance end surface 30a travels through the interior of the light guide 30 through repeated total reflection, exits from the exit end surface 30b, and is received by the photomultiplier 31, forming an X-ray image. Stimulated luminescent light 29 representing
is converted into an electrical signal by the photomultiplier 31.

The analog output signal S0 output from the photomultiplier 31 is logarithmically amplified by a logarithmic amplifier 32, and digitized by an A/D converter 33 to obtain image data S1 as an electrical signal. This image data S
1 is recorded and saved on the optical disc 34.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an embodiment of the image output device of the present invention.

The image output device 40 shown in FIG. 4 includes an optical disk 34 in which a large number of image signals S1 corresponding to a large number of X-ray images obtained by the X-ray image reading device 20 shown in FIG. 3 are stored.
(See Figure 3) is loaded and driven into the optical disc drive section 4
1. A main unit 42 with a built-in CPU, internal memory, etc., a floppy disk drive unit 43 into which a floppy disk as an auxiliary memory is loaded and driven, and displays an X-ray image based on image data S1 on its display screen 45. CRT
It consists of a display 44 and a keyboard 46 through which the operator inputs various commands and information.
is placed on top.

When observing an image, the optical disc drive section 4
1, and by specifying a desired image from the keyboard 46, image data S1 corresponding to the specified image is read from the optical disk 34 and sent to the CRT display 44, and is displayed on the CRT display 44. 45, a visible image based on this image data S1 is reproduced and displayed.

FIG. 5 is reproduced and displayed on the display screen 45.
FIG. 3 is a diagram representing a visible image corresponding to the image shown in FIG. 2;

Observing this visible image 15, FIG. 5(a)
When we find a shadow 16a that seems to be a lesion,
Use the keyboard 46 to draw this shadow 16a into the frame 17a.
Surround with When this frame 17a is specified, an observation finding frame 18a is displayed on the display screen 45 in an area other than this frame 17a. Here, the inside of the observation finding frame 18a is still blank. If the observation finding of the shadow 16a is input from the keyboard 46, this input result will be displayed in the observation finding frame 18a. When the observation of the lesion 16a is completed and the frame 17a is erased, the observation finding frame 18a also disappears and the entire chest image 15 is displayed again. Here, even if the frame 17a and the observation finding frame 18a disappear from the display screen 45, the position information of the frame 17a and the observation finding frame 18
The contents recorded in the field a are sent to the optical disc drive unit 41 and recorded on the optical disc 34 in association with the image data S1 carrying this visible image 15.

Next, in the same manner as above, when the shadow 16b that is thought to be a lesion is surrounded by a frame 17b, an observation finding frame 18b is displayed in an area other than this frame 17b on the display screen 45, and the keyboard 46 is operated. Lever observation frame 18
Observation findings of the shadow 16b are written in b. The position information of these frames 17b and the observation findings recorded in the observation findings frame 18b are also recorded on the optical disc 34 while being associated with the image data S1 carrying the image 15 displayed here. In this way, the observed findings are input while the shadows that are considered to be lesions are successively framed.

When displaying again an image that has been once subjected to observation as described above, when this image is specified from the keyboard 46, the image data S1 carrying this specified image and this Image data S1
The positional information of the frames 17a, 17b corresponding to the frames 17a, 17b and the observation findings corresponding to the frames 17a, 17b are read out and sent to the CRT display 44. First, the visible image 15 is displayed on the entire surface of the display screen 45 of the CRT display 44, and when a specific key on the keyboard 46 is pressed once, a frame 17a and an observation with observation findings written therein are displayed as shown in FIG. 5(a). A finding frame 18a is displayed. This allows the observer to easily obtain the point of interest during the previous observation and the observation findings corresponding to the point of interest. Next, by pressing a specific key on the keyboard 46 again, the screen changes as shown in FIG.
6b can be easily discovered, and observation findings of this shadow 16b can be easily obtained.

[0026] When displaying the image again, first
Frames 17a and 17b are not displayed, only the original image 15 is displayed, and the presence of observation findings is indicated on the image.Then, by performing a predetermined key operation, frames 17a and 17b are displayed, and this frame 17a, 17b
It is also possible to display the observation findings by specifying .

[0027] It goes without saying that the key operations described above may also be mouse operations in which a mouse is operated instead of keys.

[0028]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained in detail above, when the image display method of the present invention is adopted, the positional information of a desired area on an image and the observation findings obtained by observing that area can be correlated with each other. Since the displayed image is also stored in memory, it is possible to easily grasp the area that attracted attention in the previous observation, and to easily obtain observation findings for that area. This is a good image display method.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

[Figure 1] Schematic diagram of an example of an X-ray imaging device

[Figure 2] A diagram schematically representing an example of a chest X-ray image of a human body captured and recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet.

[Fig. 3] A perspective view showing an example of an X-ray image reading device

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an embodiment of the image output device of the present invention.

[Fig. 5] A diagram showing a visible image corresponding to the image shown in Fig. 2, reproduced and displayed on a display screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 X-ray imaging device 14 Storable phosphor sheet 15 Chest X-ray images 16a, 16b Shadow 17a thought to be a lesion
, 17b Frame 18a, 18b Observation finding frame 20
Line image reading device 23 Laser light source 26 Rotating polygon mirror 29 Stimulated luminescence light 30 Light guide 31 Photo multiplier 40 Image output device 41 Optical disk drive section 42 Main body section 44 CRT display 45 Display screen 46 Keyboard

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Displaying an image based on image data on a display screen, specifying a desired area on the image, inputting an observation finding corresponding to the desired area of the image, and specifying the desired area on the image. The positional information of the desired area and the observation findings are associated with each other, and the positional information of the desired area and the observation findings are stored in association with the image data carrying the image displayed on the display screen, and the When displaying the image based on the image data on the display screen again, the desired area based on the stored position information is clearly displayed on the image displayed on the display screen, and the desired area on the display screen is An image display method characterized by displaying the observation findings in an area other than the area where the observation is made.