JPH06319731A - Medical image diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To rapidly and easily display a tomographic image over a wide area without contracting the same at all by storing the image data of the tomographic image of each area of an examinee to move the image along a body axis direction to display the same. CONSTITUTION:The data obtained by an X-ray detector 11 detecting the X-rays transmitted through an examinee 3 from an X-ray tube 10 is stored in a memory A13 through an address generator 12 and inputted to an image processing means 15 through an address generator B14 to be subjected to image processing. Further, the processed data is stored in a memory B17 through an address generator C16. The memory B17 has capacity storing data quantity equal to or more than the data quantity correcponding to one screen of a monitor 6 and successively stores the data of the tomographic image in the whole body of the examinee. The data stored in the memory B17 is read by an address generator D to be inputted to the monitor 6. By this constitution, the tomographic image of the examinee 3 is changed along with the movement of a head 4 to be displayed on the monitor 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medical image diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to improvement of a display mode of a tomographic image on display means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A medical image diagnostic apparatus such as an X-ray CT apparatus is provided with an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector which rotate about the body axis of a subject.

The X-ray detector is arranged so as to face the X-ray tube through the subject and obtains X-ray information obtained from the X-ray tube passing through the subject.

Then, information from the X-ray detector obtained by rotating the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector at least once is image-processed to calculate tomographic image information, and this tomographic image is displayed on the display means. It is like this.

In recent years, the subject is moved in the body axis direction during measurement, and a cross-sectional image along the body axis direction can be displayed on the display means from the data from the X-ray detector obtained thereby. ing.

[0006]

However, the medical image diagnostic apparatus constructed in this manner has the main purpose of accurately and in detail recognizing the affected part of the subject, and therefore, it is displayed on the display means. The tomographic image needs to be displayed in an enlarged state to some extent. Therefore, the displayed tomographic image is usually a part of the subject.

Although a tomographic image of the whole body of the subject has been displayed for other purposes, in order to accurately recognize the affected area, the operation to be performed thereafter requires that the affected area be present. Had to be enlarged and displayed. In that case, the operation is complicated and time-consuming.

[0008] However, for example, in the case of a subject whose whole body has been fractured due to a traffic accident or the like, a tomographic image of the whole body must be displayed quickly and easily in a state of being enlarged to some extent, thereby improving the efficiency of diagnosis. It was requested that it not be.

Therefore, the present invention has been made based on such a circumstance, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the displayed tomographic image at all in the body axis direction of the subject without any reduction. An object of the present invention is to provide a medical image diagnostic apparatus capable of quickly and easily displaying a tomographic image over a wide region along the line.

[0010]

In order to achieve such an object, a medical image diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention basically comprises a storage means for storing image information of a tomographic image at one site of a subject. In the medical image diagnostic apparatus including a display unit that displays a tomographic image based on the image information stored in the storage unit, the storage unit includes the body axis along with the image information of the tomographic image at the part of the subject. Image display information of a tomographic image of a portion exceeding the partial position along the direction is stored, and display driving means for moving and displaying the tomographic image portion displayed on the display means along the body axis direction is provided. It is characterized by that.

[0011]

According to the medical image diagnostic apparatus configured as described above, the tomographic image of the region currently displayed is operated by the operation of the display drive means, and the tomographic image of the region adjacent in the body axis direction of the subject is obtained. It is possible to sequentially move and display the images on the display means.

That is, the image information to be displayed on the display means is not limited to the image information of the tomographic image of only one part of the subject, and the tomographic image of the part beyond the partial position along the body axis direction is displayed. Image information can also be stored.

Then, from the partial image information in the storage means displayed by the display means, by the display drive means, along the direction corresponding to the body axis direction of the subject, by the display capacity of the display means. The image information of 1 is sequentially read from the storage means, and the read information is displayed on the display means.

Therefore, the tomographic image over a wide area along the body axis direction of the subject can be displayed quickly and easily without reducing the displayed tomographic image at all.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 3 is an external view showing an X-ray CT apparatus which is an embodiment of the medical image diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, there is a scanner 1, and this scanner 1 is provided with a measurement space 2 consisting of a through hole.

On the other hand, the bed 4 on which the subject 3 is mounted
The bed 4 is inserted into the measurement space 2 of the scanner 1. Along with this, the subject 3 on the bed 4 can pass through the measurement space 2 from the head to the legs.

The bed 4 is scanned at a constant speed, for example, by a signal (bed movement control signal) from a control unit (not shown) in the image processing apparatus 5 which will be described later.
It can be automatically moved to the measurement space 2 side.

In the scanner 1, an X-ray tube (indicated by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 2) around the measurement space and an X-ray detector (indicated by reference numeral 11 in FIG. 2) arranged to face the X-ray tube 10. Are shown), and they rotate around the central axis of the measurement space, that is, around the body axis of the subject 3 while facing each other.

The data obtained by the X-ray detector 11 which detects the X-rays from the X-ray tube 10 that has passed through the subject 3 is
The image is input to the image processing apparatus 5 shown below, and the image processing is performed by the image processing apparatus 5.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the data is stored in the memory A13 via the address generator A12. Here, the address generator A12 sets an address for storing data, which is so-called raw data, from the X-ray detector 1 in the memory A13 so as to facilitate image processing.

The data stored in the memory A13 is input to the image processing means 15 via the address generator B14 and is subjected to image processing by the image processing means 15.

Further, the data image-processed by the image processing means 15 is stored in the memory B via the address generator C16. Here, the address generator C16 sets an address so that the data stored in the memory B corresponds to the display of the monitor 6 described later, and when the data amount corresponding to one screen of the monitor 6 exceeds the address. , The address for the excess is created.

That is, the memory B has a capacity for storing data of a data amount corresponding to one screen of the monitor 6 or more, and thus, for example, data of a sectional image of the whole body of the subject 3 can be stored. It is like this.

Further, the data stored in the memory B is
It is read by the address generator D and input to the monitor 6. Here, the address generator D
Operates by inputting information from the image processing means 51, and reads the data amount corresponding to one screen by sequentially changing the address.

As a result, on the monitor 6, a cross-sectional image of the subject 3 in the portion inserted into the measurement space 2 of the scanner 1 changes and is imaged as the bed 4 moves.

In the above description, the case where the tomographic image obtained by the measurement is displayed on the monitor 6 in real time at the time of measurement has been described.

Next, a case where the data stored in the memory B17 is displayed on the monitor 6 after the measurement is described.

For example, a pointing device 19 such as a trackball or a mouse is provided, and when the pointing device 19 is operated, an address according to the degree of operation is set by the address generator E20.

Then, data for one screen in the memory B17 is input to the monitor 6 with the address set by the address generator E20 as the head.

According to the medical image diagnostic apparatus configured as described above, the monitor 6 extends from the tomographic image of the portion currently displayed to the tomographic image of the adjacent portion in the body axis direction of the subject 3. It becomes possible to sequentially move and display.

That is, the image information to be displayed on the monitor 6 is not limited to the image information of the tomographic image of only one site of the subject 3, but the tomographic image of the site beyond the partial position along the body axis direction. The image information of is also stored in the memory B17.

Then, from a part of the image information in the memory B17 displayed by the monitor 6, along the direction corresponding to the body axis direction of the subject, image information corresponding to the display capacity of the monitor 6 is stored in the memory. The information is sequentially read from B17, and the read information is displayed on the monitor 6.

This is as shown in FIG.
When image information covering the whole body of the subject 3 is stored in 17, for example, reference numeral 30 in the drawing,
The parts shown by 40 and 50 can be sequentially displayed on the monitor 6 as they are while the subject 3 is moved.

Therefore, the tomographic image over a wide area along the body axis direction of the subject 3 can be displayed quickly and easily without reducing the displayed tomographic image at all.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the tomographic image information covering the whole body of the subject 3 is stored in the memory B17, but it is not always necessary to cover the whole body. In short, not only the partial tomographic information displayed on the monitor 6 as one screen, but also the image information of the tomographic image of the portion exceeding the partial position along the body axis direction may be stored. .

Further, although the above-mentioned embodiment shows the X-ray CT apparatus, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this X-ray CT apparatus. Of course, it can be applied to a medical image diagnostic apparatus such as a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus.

[0038]

As is apparent from the above description,
According to the medical image diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to quickly and easily display a tomographic image over a wide site along the body axis direction of the subject without reducing the displayed tomographic image at all.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a medical image diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a main part configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a medical image diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an external configuration diagram showing an X-ray CT apparatus which is an embodiment of the medical image diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 ... Subject 10 ... X-ray tube 11 ... X-ray detector 17 ... Memory B

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A medical image diagnostic apparatus comprising: storage means for storing image information of a tomographic image of one site of a subject; and display means for displaying a tomographic image based on the image information stored in the storage means. In the storage means, the storage means can store the image information of the tomographic image at the partial position of the subject together with the image information of the tomographic image of the portion exceeding the partial position along the body axis direction, and displayed on the display means. A medical image diagnostic apparatus comprising a display drive means capable of moving and displaying a portion of a tomographic image that is present along the body axis direction.