KR101287382B1 - Appratus and method for image processing and displaying using attribute and image characteristic information - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A device for processing and displaying a medical image by utilizing a set of attribute information and a set of image feature information and a method are provided to shorten time of a user to reach an interested area slice by using the image feature information for the medical image. CONSTITUTION: An interested area extraction unit extracts a set of interested area information for a medical image based on the attribute information of the medical image of a patient (S110). An image processing unit extracts a set of image feature information by an image processing process for the medical image (S120). The medical image is divided into a plurality of groups by using the information for a plurality of slices which comprises the medical image. A display unit displays an expressive image corresponding to one or more groups to a user (S140). The display unit displays the image of a selected group (S170). [Reference numerals] (AA) Start; (BB) End; (S110) Extract interested area information based on the attribute information of a medical image of a patient; (S120) Extract image feature information by using an image processing process for the medical image; (S130) Divide the interested area information and the image feature information into a plurality of groups; (S140) Display an expression image corresponding to one or more groups; (S150) Receive the user input for the expression image; (S160) Select a group corresponding to the user input; (S170) Display the image of the selected group

Description

Medical image processing and display device and method using attribute information and image characteristic information {APPRATUS AND METHOD FOR IMAGE PROCESSING AND DISPLAYING USING ATTRIBUTE AND IMAGE CHARACTERISTIC INFORMATION}

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing and displaying a medical image of a patient. More particularly, the present invention provides a method for quickly accessing a region of interest by using attribute information of a medical image of a patient and image characteristic information by image processing. The present invention relates to a technology for providing a user interface.

The present invention is derived from research carried out by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Korea Industrial Technology Evaluation and Management Center as part of the Knowledge Economy Technology Innovation Project (Industrial Source Technology Development Project) [Project Number: 10038419, Project Name: Intelligent Image Diagnosis and Treatment Support system].

In general, clinical diagnosis is a big part of treating patients in the medical treatment of patients' lives, and advances in medical technology are helping to make accurate clinical diagnoses, and their dependence will continue to grow even higher. to be.

On the other hand, although medical imaging equipments such as computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have become essential equipment in modern medicine, medical services have been used as medical imaging equipment. By taking abnormalities and printing them to film and delivering them to the patient's doctor, a lot of time and manpower is invested in the final clinical diagnosis, not only inefficiently operating the resources, but also in the finance of the hospital. The patient could not receive prompt and accurate treatment.

Accordingly, with the development of computer and communication technology, the medical industry dealing with patient's life is researching and developing a system that provides medical service using computer and data communication technology. For example, a computer communication network is installed throughout the hospital. Medical X-Ray film is converted into digital data to make a database, stored in a large storage medium connected to the server, and when needed, a medical monitor that allows each office to view the X-ray image of the desired patient through a computer monitor. Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) was recently introduced.

PACS acquires medical images, especially radiological diagnostic images in digital form, transmits them through a high-speed network, and medical images are stored as digital data instead of past X-ray films. It refers to a comprehensive digital image management system and a transmission system where doctors and clinicians use an image display device to treat a patient instead of a conventional film view box.

The ultimate goal of PACS is to build a filmless hospital system, which involves image display and processing, data communication and networking, databases, and information management. Information management, user interface, data storage and management, etc. should be comprehensively established.

The communication in the PACS is based on the DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) protocol. The DICOM protocol uses an industry standard network, and various digital images such as nuclear medicine and ultrasound as well as CT and MRI. Refers to a communication protocol that effectively supports communication between an acquisition device and another information system, which was jointly standardized by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) in 1984. The first standard was enacted in 1985 the next year.

After two revisions in 1988 and 1993, the current 3.0 revision became known as DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine).

The background of the DICOM protocol has emerged as the medical industry has been informatized, and each medical device has been used in conjunction with each other rather than independently, and the medical imaging equipment has been used to exchange medical images and related information. Because some promise was needed.

In other words, in the past, there is no standard, and different manufacturers have different methods of storing and communicating information depending on the type of video equipment and the model of the video equipment. Therefore, expensive gateways are purchased to exchange information with each other. It had to or had no communication at all.

However, with the advent of the DICOM standard, equipment that conforms to this standard is able to exchange information with each other, regardless of the manufacturer or type of equipment, even if no special converter is required. This means that communication is not limited to communication between DICOM-supported devices in hospitals, but also to remote locations.

In addition, since the network configuration method follows the standard method widely used in the computer industry, the DICOM standard can be easily applied to all medical imaging systems, such as connection between hospitals, communication between remote clinics, and remote diagnosis systems.

As described above, the PACS system applying the DICOM standard stores medical image data of a patient, that is, a subject, and also stores medical image data captured by different devices such as CT and MRI. do.

That is, various medical image data may be stored for the same subject, and the medical image data may be medical image data obtained by photographing the same or overlapping portions.

The medical images obtained by the medical imaging apparatus (modality), such as CT and MRI, provide a detailed image set so that the doctor can observe and diagnose the lesion or disease of the patient accurately. However, as medical image sets are implemented at precise resolutions, the amount of data is enormous, and thus, it takes a long time for the doctor to reach an image slice to be preferentially viewed for diagnosis, which reduces the diagnostic efficiency. Caused it.

Accordingly, a technology related to UI that improves diagnostic efficiency and enables a doctor to quickly select a desired medical image series for diagnosis has been disclosed in US Pat. No. 8,019,626.

According to the US Pat. No. 8,019,626, a plurality of medical image series related to a patient are displayed in a time series group, and thumbnail images for each series are provided, so that a doctor can quickly access the desired series.

However, even with the technique of the US 8,019,626 patent, multiple medical image series for a patient are only displayed in a single interface so that the doctor can finally select the desired slice (region of interest) within one series or However, there is still a problem that is difficult to shorten the time until the region of interest slice is displayed.

Accordingly, there is a need for a medical image processing and display method that enables a doctor to quickly select a desired medical image series for diagnosis.

US Patent No. 8,019,626

The present invention is derived to solve the above problems, the object of the present invention is to reduce the time to reach the area of interest to the doctor within one medical image series. To this end, the present invention utilizes basic attribute information of the medical image, that is, basic information that can be extracted from DICOM header information, etc., to the user to slice the region of interest by using image characteristic information that can be obtained in the image processing process for the medical image. It aims to reduce the time to reach.

In order to diagnose a patient's lesion, a doctor (a radiologist and a clinician) needs to examine not only one slice that best represents the lesion, but also all slices in the vicinity thereof. An object of the present invention is to increase the convenience of diagnosis by providing a user's image selection menu optimized for the diagnosis flow as a UI.

In detail, the present invention divides the medical image of the patient into a plurality of groups by using the ROI information and the image characteristic information from the medical image of the patient, and displays a representation image corresponding to at least one group on the screen. The purpose of the present invention is to shorten the diagnosis time of a doctor by displaying a representation image corresponding to another group selected according to the requirements of a specialist and a clinician.

In order to achieve the above object, the medical image processing and display method according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of extracting the region of interest information on the medical image based on the attribute information of the medical image of the patient; Extracting image characteristic information by an image processing process for the medical image; Dividing the medical image into a plurality of groups by using the ROI information and the image characteristic information; And displaying a representation image corresponding to at least one of the plurality of groups to the user.

In the step of extracting the region of interest information, the attribution information includes patient age, patient gender, order, patient's diagnostic record, radiologist information, clinician information, location of lesion, type of lesion. And at least one of organs. Attribute information can be basically obtained from DICOM header information and, if necessary, through additional data fields and data paths, electronic medical record (EMR) system, prescription delivery system (OCS), and general hospital information system (HIS) Information System (CIS) or Clinical Information System (CIS).

The extracting of the image characteristic information may include extracting information obtained through image processing of the medical image, that is, segmentation, image registration, or pre-processing for 3D volume rendering. can do. In this case, the present invention is used to divide a medical image into a plurality of groups by using a body part, an organ, or a type of a lesion of the human body that the medical image represents. See also.

In the dividing into a plurality of groups, one series may be logically divided into several sub-series using the ROI information and the image characteristic information.

The displaying may include displaying an expression image corresponding to at least one group of the plurality of groups on a user's screen. In this case, the present invention displays two or more expression images together on a screen and then displays the user according to a user input. The medical image of the desired group can be displayed on the screen.

In the prior US Patent No. 8,019,626, the focus is on simply managing time series of image series. However, the present invention uses a combination of basic or additional attribute information and image characteristic information (by image processing). It is characterized in that the series of can be divided into a plurality of logical sub-series. Physically, one medical image series may be logically divided into a plurality of sub-series, and thus, the medical image processing method of the present invention may shorten a time for a user to finally reach a desired region of interest slice.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the ROI information may also be extracted by basic attribute information, but may further use image characteristic information to obtain ROI information, or may be computer aided diagnostic (CAD). diagnosis information may be available. Alternatively, if the user (or another user) has a record of previously diagnosing the corresponding medical image, the ROI information may be extracted in detail by using the annotation information of the user.

The interaction process in which the user reaches the region of interest by the representation image may be hierarchical. That is, when a user selects one of the representation images for each of the plurality of groups, the group corresponding to the selected representation image may be subdivided into a plurality of subdivided groups, and the representation image for each of the redivided groups may be displayed. . The depth at which grouping of medical images is hierarchically determined may be determined by combining the number of slices of the medical image, the ROI information, and the image characteristic information.

At this time, the step of subdividing the group first selected by the user may be performed based on the extracted ROI information in consideration of the image characteristic information, the computer assisted diagnostic information, or the annotation information of the user.

The displaying of the representation image to the user may be sequentially performed on the medical image in a predetermined order, or may be displayed from the priority group selected based on the predetermined priority.

Since the medical images are physically one series, the medical images are sequentially displayed from the first slice in advance. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the medical images are sequentially displayed, the medical images are not included in the region of interest. Skip and the group of medical images closer to the ROI may be sequentially displayed to adjust the speed of conversion. That is, the speed at which slices are sequentially converted in the cine mode of the medical image slice may be differentiated according to the ROI information. In addition, the rate at which slices are sequentially switched in cine mode may be adjusted by adjusting the sampling rate of the slices. For example, slices may be sequentially displayed at a sampling rate of 1/10 in a group far from the region of interest, and slices may be sequentially displayed at a sampling rate of 1/2 or 1/1 in a group near the region of interest.

In another embodiment, the client of the present invention may receive the medical image from the server in advance, extract the image characteristic information of the medical image slice, and set the priority for each group. In this case, the representation image corresponding to the group of highest priority may be displayed in the center of the screen, and the representation images adjacent to the group of highest priority may be displayed around it.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a medical image processing and display apparatus includes: a region of interest extracting unit configured to extract region of interest information on the medical image based on attribute information of a medical image of a patient; An image processor extracting image characteristic information by an image processing process of the medical image; A divider dividing the medical image into a plurality of groups using the ROI information and the image characteristic information; And a display unit configured to display a representation image corresponding to at least one of the plurality of groups to a user. . ≪ / RTI >

In the conventional invention, when a doctor views a patient's medical image to diagnose a patient's lesion, the doctor sequentially finds slices in order to see the slices that the doctor desires, and thus it takes a long time to reach the slice to be viewed first. There was a cause of the decrease in efficiency.

In the present invention, the region of interest information is extracted based on the attribute information of the patient's medical image, and the image characteristic information is extracted by the image processing process of the patient's medical image. By dividing into a plurality of groups and differentially displaying the divided groups based on the region of interest information on the lesion of the patient, it is possible to effectively shorten the time for the user to reach the region of interest slice.

Also, when setting ROI information, you can quickly set ROI information by using basic property information such as DICOM header information which can be easily obtained. When you want to get ROI information in detail, CAD information and image characteristic information (through image processing) The ROI information may be extracted in detail by using the obtained body part, organ information, and annotation information of the user.

For the convenience of the user, the user interface of the present invention may be provided in an adaptive cine mode, or may be provided in an optional display mode to determine the priority and to allow the user to access from the highest priority group. It may be.

1 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a medical image processing and display method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of acquiring and utilizing computer-assisted diagnostic (CAD) information as a medical image processing and display method according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of step S160 of FIG. 1 in more detail.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of processing and displaying a medical image according to another embodiment of the present invention, which complements grouping of medical images and subdivides the group.
FIG. 5 shows an operational flowchart showing an embodiment of step S130 of FIG. 1 in more detail.
FIG. 6 shows an operational flowchart showing an embodiment of step S140 of FIG. 1 in more detail.
7 illustrates a conceptual configuration of a medical image processing and display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 illustrates a conceptual configuration of a medical image processing and display device capable of feedback according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9 to 13 illustrate embodiments of screens displaying a representation image corresponding to a group in a medical image processing and display method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

However, the present invention is not limited to or limited by the embodiments. Like reference symbols in the drawings denote like elements.

1 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a medical image processing and display method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating each module of an apparatus in which the medical image processing and display method of FIG. 1 is executed.

1 and 7, the ROI extractor 710 extracts ROI information based on attribute information of a medical image of a patient (S110). At this time, the attribution information includes at least one of patient age, patient gender, order, patient's diagnosis record, radiologist information, clinician information, location of lesion, type of lesion, and organ. At least one region of interest is extracted based on the attribute information. Basic attribute information may be obtained from a DICOM header, but may be shared from a prescription delivery system (OCS), a hospital general information system (HIS), and a diagnostic information system (CIS) as necessary.

The image processor 720 extracts image characteristic information by an image processing process for the medical image (S120). In this case, an example of an image processing process may include segmentation, and an organ represented by each slice may be identified through the segmentation process. In addition, by using the segmentation result and the position of each slice collectively, the organs represented by each slice can be identified.

The image processor 720 may obtain information on a body part indicated by the medical image from a DICOM header or an order of diagnosis. In addition, the image processor 720 may subdivide the information on the organs and lesions represented by each slice of the medical image through an image processing process.

The image processor 720 registers a human body standard model (eg, an atlas, etc.) and a medical image to further add detailed information about the body parts, organs, and lesions represented by each slice of the medical image. In particular, in the case of medical images taken over the entire body of a patient, a comparison with a standard human body model may be very useful.

The divider 730 divides the medical image into a plurality of groups using the ROI information and the image characteristic information (S130). In this case, the medical images of the patient, which are physically composed of one series, are divided into a plurality of divided groups according to the ROI information and the image characteristic information, wherein the number of slices included in the divided group is the ROI information and the image. Different information may be set for each group by using the characteristic information.

The display unit 740 displays the representation image corresponding to at least one or more of the plurality of groups (S140). The display unit 740 displays the index screen or thumbnail image for the plurality of groups divided by the divider 730 on the user's screen.

In the adaptive cine mode according to an embodiment of the present invention, only a medical image of one of a plurality of pre-divided groups may be provided. In this case, the displayed medical image slices are sequentially switched, and the relative position of the currently displayed medical image slice may also be provided as a representation image in the form of a navigation bar. In the adaptive cine mode, the representation image may mean a combination of the currently displayed medical image slice and the navigation bar. In this case, the representation image in the form of a navigation bar may be borrowed from a number of known technologies, and the displayed representation image may change according to a pre-divided group. An embodiment of the representation image in the form of a navigation bar will be described later with reference to FIG. 10.

In adaptive cine mode, the speed of the medical images to be sequentially switched or the sampling rate to be displayed is set differentially for each group, and the medical images within a group far from the region of interest are displayed at high speed or at a low sampling rate, and are of interest. Medical images in a group closer to the area may be converted at a slower rate or displayed at a higher sampling rate.

In the selective display mode according to another embodiment of the present invention, the division unit 730 may give priority to each group by using the ROI information and the image characteristic information. At this time, the highest priority is given to the group that is most likely to be selected as the region of interest, and the lower priority is given to the group adjacent to the highest priority group.

In the selective display mode, the representation image may be a thumbnail image or a preview image of a representative slice of each group. In the selective display mode, the expression image of the group with the highest priority is located at the center of the screen so that the user can identify and access it most easily. Is displayed on.

In the selective display mode, the representation image may be a slice located at the center of each group or may be the first slice of each group.

When a representation of a specific group is selected by the user's selection, slices of the selected group may be sequentially displayed or slices corresponding to the representation may be displayed first. In addition, the groups may be hierarchically subdivided so that the group selected by the user may be subdivided again, and a representation image of each of the subdivided groups may be displayed.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to shorten the time to reach a desired medical image slice. Therefore, the depth of hierarchical division of a group may be determined by considering the number of slices of the medical image, convenience of diagnosis, and the like. 730). The dividing unit 730 may combine and use basic attribute information, additional attribute information, CAD information, and image characteristic information to determine the depth of hierarchical division.

In addition, the display unit 740 on the present specification may mean a monitor on which an image and an expression image, etc. are displayed, or may mean a display controller that controls the displayed data so that the image and the expression image are displayed on the monitor.

8 may be further referred to to explain the operations of steps S150 to S160 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 8, the user interface 850 receives a user input for a representation image (S150). In this case, the user's input to the representation image may be a command for requesting switching to the next slice in the adaptive cine mode. In the selective display mode, the command may be a request for searching a lower layer of a specific group or displaying a medical image slice in a specific group.

The user interface unit 850 selects a group corresponding to the user input (S160). Step S160 is an operation step designed in consideration of the optional display mode. At this time, according to the embodiment, the representation image of the hierarchically divided group may be displayed or the medical image slice in the selected group may be immediately displayed.

Although not shown in detail in FIG. 1, when a user command is input, the user interface unit 850 may adjust the sampling rate for the display of the slice by considering the group to which the main slice currently being displayed belongs. .

For example, apply a sampling rate of 1/10 or 1/5 for a group far from the region of interest (group less likely to be the region of interest) and 1 for a group near the region of interest (group likely to be the region of interest). You can apply a sampling rate of / 2 or 1/1.

The display unit 740 displays an image of the selected group (S170).

In the selective display mode, the display unit 740 displays the sub-expression image or the medical image slice of the group selected by the user interface unit 850.

In the adaptive cine mode, the display 740 displays a medical image slice selected at a sampling rate by the determination of the user interface 850.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of acquiring and utilizing computer-assisted diagnostic (CAD) information as a medical image processing and display method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Since the process from step S250 to step S280 is the same as or similar to the steps S140 to S170 of FIG. 1, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

2 and 7, the ROI extractor 710 extracts an ROI based on attribute information of the patient's medical image (S210). At this time, in addition to the attribute information, the image processor 720 extracts the image characteristic information by the image processing process for the medical image (S220) or the computer acquiring the information from a predetermined computer aided diagnosis (SAD) (S230). Additional diagnostic information can be considered.

In this case, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) reduces abnormal readings by radiologists by displaying abnormal areas based on the results of computer quantitative analysis, and quantitative analysis results for images that are judged to be abnormal. Refers to a diagnosis system that allows the doctor to make a final diagnosis. Computer-assisted diagnostics in the present invention are not limited to specific algorithms, and are generally applicable to the present invention as long as known CAD techniques are known.

The dividing unit 730 uses the region of interest information S210 based on the attribute information of the medical image of the patient and the image characteristic information S220 extracted by the image processing process of the medical image to form a medical image of the patient in a series. It is divided into a plurality of groups (S240).

As described in FIG. 2, the process of extracting the region of interest information (S210) may be performed from basic attribute information (for example, DICOM header information and order information of a medical image), but additionally includes CAD information (S230). In addition, image characteristic information obtained in an image processing process for a medical image may be additionally used.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of step S160 of FIG. 1 in more detail.

3, 7 and 8, the user interface 850 receives a user input for a representation image of a group desired by a user from the plurality of groups divided in step S130 and selects a group corresponding to the user input. (S310). The dividers 730 and 830 may divide the selected group into subdivided groups (S320). At this time, in addition to the basic attribute information in the re-segmentation process (S320), image characteristic information, CAD information, information shared with OCS, EMR, HIS, CIS, etc. by image processing may be additionally used as described above.

The display unit 740 displays the representation image corresponding to the subdivided group on the user screen. Thereafter, the user interface 850 receives a user input for the representation image.

3 illustrates a group selection process of two hierarchical depths until the medical image slice of the last selected group is displayed (S170), but it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the hierarchical depth may be 3 or more. However, as one of the objectives of the present invention is to quickly and easily reach the region of interest of the user, it is desirable that the hierarchical depth be optimized to a number that is not too large. Comprehensive information such as total number, body part of the patient, organs, lesions can be considered.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of processing and displaying a medical image according to another embodiment of the present invention, which supplements a process of grouping a plurality of medical images and subdivides the group.

Since operations of steps S460 to S490 are similar to or the same as operations of steps S140 to S170 of FIG. 1, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

4 and 7, the extractor 710 extracts the ROI information based on the attribute information of the patient's medical image (S410), and the image processor 720 performs an image processing process on the medical image. Image characteristic information is extracted (S420). The image processor 720 may additionally obtain computer-assisted diagnostic information (S430). In this case, the computer-assisted diagnostic information may be obtained by image processing in the image processor 720, but may be implemented by a separate module, and the image processor 720 may obtain only the result information of the computer-assisted diagnosis. The divider 720 first divides the medical image into a plurality of groups by using the ROI information and the image characteristic information (S440).

Subsequently, the divider 720 may further divide the primary divided group into more subdivided groups based on the image characteristic information and computer-assisted diagnostic information in addition to the basic attribute information (S450).

This process may be performed step by step. For example, if it is determined that the group that is most likely to be the region of interest includes a number of slices or more than the reference value, and thus does not provide convenience to the user, The installment 720 may further improve the user's convenience by further subdividing the group using additional information.

Alternatively, even when it is determined that the number of divided groups is less than the reference value as a result of the first division process S440, the division unit 720 may further subdivide the groups by using additional information.

FIG. 5 shows an operational flowchart showing an embodiment of step S130 of FIG. 1 in more detail. In particular, FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of an optional display menu.

5, 7, and 8, the division unit 730 divides the medical image of the patient into a plurality of groups using the ROI information and the image characteristic information from steps S110 and S120 (S131). At this time, a priority group most relevant to the ROI information is selected (S132). That is, the group selected in step S132 is the highest priority group and means the image group determined to have the highest possibility of correspond to the ROI.

FIG. 6 shows an operational flowchart showing an embodiment of step S140 of FIG. 1 in more detail. 6 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of an adaptive cine mode. However, the adaptive cine mode as shown in FIG. 6 may be applied in combination with the selective display mode.

6 and 7, the divider 730 differentiates a group divided into a plurality of groups according to the relation with the region of interest information (S141). At this time, the display unit 740 differentially adjusts the display speed or the sampling rate of the slice according to the result of the difference of the group to which the slice displayed on the user's screen belongs (S140).

For example, when the sampling rate is differentiated and displayed, the display unit 740 displays the slice from the first slice to the last slice in the cine mode, when the user selects the next slice. Slices belonging to a high likelihood group are displayed one by one slice, and slices classified into groups having a low likelihood of interest are displayed by jumping several preset slices.

7 illustrates a conceptual configuration of a medical image processing and display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The medical image processing and display device illustrated in FIG. 7 includes an ROI extractor 710, an image processor 720, a divider 730, and a display 740.

The ROI extractor 710 extracts ROI information based on attribute information of the medical image of the patient (S110). The image processor 720 extracts image characteristic information by an image processing process for the medical image (S120). In this case, computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) information may be obtained (S230).

The dividing unit 730 divides the medical image of the patient in a series into a plurality of groups using the ROI information and the image characteristic information (S130).

The display unit 740 displays a representation image corresponding to at least one or more of the plurality of divided groups on the user screen (S140).

Detailed description of each device and how to use the device will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8 illustrates a conceptual configuration of a medical image processing and display device capable of feedback according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The user interface 850 receives a user's input on the representation image displayed on the screen from the display 840. In addition, various thumbnail images or index screens are provided so that the user can select a desired group. When the user selects a thumbnail image or an index screen, the user's input is received and the display unit 840 selects a group corresponding to the user's input and displays it on the screen.

9 to 13 illustrate embodiments of screens displaying a representation image corresponding to a group in a medical image processing and display method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Of the medical image processing and display screens 910 provided to the user in FIG. 9, a thumbnail image of a group is located at the center so as to be most visible to the user (920). First, a thumbnail image of the images of the group adjacent to the group is first displayed on the screen in the vicinity of the thumbnail image of the group. If the currently displayed image is not an image of a group desired by the user, a menu for displaying an image for selecting another group on the screen may also be provided (940). At this time, the display menu 940 has a function of indicating a relative position of the image 920 located in the center of the screen 910, in addition to a function of allowing a user to select an image other than the image currently displayed.

In FIG. 10, the virtual patient or the human body model 1020 is displayed on the screen 1010 displaying the representation image corresponding to the group. In this case, a group highly related to the ROI information is displayed as the preview window 1040 in the virtual patient or the human body model 1020. Also, an image of an adjacent group 1030 may be provided except for a highly related group. The navigation bar menu illustrated in FIG. 10 may configure an expression image together with a representative medical image currently displayed. Although a virtual patient or human body model 1020 is shown in FIG. 10, in some embodiments, a differentiated navigation model according to a body part may be provided. In this case, relative position information of which slice is currently being displayed is located in the entire medical image or the part of the virtual patient may be provided together as the representation image.

In FIG. 10, an example of a preview screen for one or more images included in the preview window 1040 is illustrated through FIG. 13. Referring to FIG. 13, an axial image of one of the medical images of the patient is displayed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, any one medical image may be displayed on the preview screen, or a plurality of medical images selected within a predetermined group or sub-series may be sequentially displayed. In addition, the medical image of the preview screen displayed at this time can be represented by various angles and shapes such as sagittal, coronal, and multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) images. Self-explanatory

In FIG. 10, a user adjustment menu for the range of the preview window 1040 is further provided along with the preview window 1040. The user adjustment menu may be displayed in the form of an arrow or may be provided in the form of various icons such as a circle or a rectangle. The range of the preview window 1040 may be adjusted by a user's input corresponding to the user adjustment menu.

In FIGS. 11 and 12, in the medical image processing and display method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a range of the entire medical image selected by the user and a relative position of the portion selected as the current ROI among the entire medical image range Embodiments of the illustrated screen are shown.

11 illustrates a screen when a user selects a series A 1100 from a worklist, which means a list of related medical image studies, examinations, or series. . The series A 1100 selected by the user may include three or more image groups 1110 to 1130. In this case, the medical image slice having the highest possibility of the tumor may be presented by the ROI information obtained by the ROI extractor 710 and the image characteristic information obtained by the image processor 720. As described above, the divider 730 may divide the group 2 1120 into subgroups or subseries around the slice having the highest possibility of the ROI.

The divider 730 may set the preview area 1140 around the slice having the highest possibility of the ROI. One or more medical images in the preview area 1140 may be displayed through the preview screen as shown in FIG. 13. In this case, the preview screen may display the resolution of the original medical image as it is, but may be resized based on the size of the screen or the size of an area on the screen given to the preview screen.

FIG. 11 shows, in a series A 1100, the related images in the worklist, iconized and displayed in the form of a shooting sequence in the sequence stored in the database, and the currently displayed preview area 1140 is the related images in the worklist. It can display the relative position located at. A user adjustment menu 1150 for adjusting the range of the preview area 1140 may be graphically provided, and the range of the preview area 1140 may be adjusted in response to a user input.

12 shows a screen when the user selects study B 1200 in a work list. Study B 1200 may include three or more series 1210-1230.

The division unit 730 may select a region having the highest possibility of the region of interest among the study B 1200 as the preview region 1240, and display the range of the preview region 1140 on the screen. A user adjustment menu 1250 may be provided graphically to adjust the range of the preview area 1240, and the range of the preview area 1240 may be adjusted in response to a user input.

11 and 12, when the user identifies the preview areas 1140 and 1240 as the final region of interest, the medical image display and display apparatus preferentially accesses the medical image within the identified region of interest, and the user separately. Until the medical image other than the region of interest is selected through the user command of, the medical image outside the region of interest may not be accessed.

The range of the preview areas 1140 and 1240 may be adjusted in various ways by a user input using the user adjustment menus 1150 and 1250 illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. Since the left limit and the right limit of the preview areas 1140 and 1250 may be adjusted independently or may be adjusted in conjunction with each other, the preview areas 1140 and 1240 may be different image groups 1110 according to user input. 1130, or another image series 1210 and 1230.

In FIGS. 11 and 12, the preview areas 1140 and 1240 are illustrated in a quadrangular shape. However, according to the exemplary embodiment, the preview areas 1140 and 1240 may be represented in any form, such as a circle or an ellipse.

Medical image processing and display method according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer means may be recorded on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and constructed for the present invention or may be available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape, optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and magnetic disks, such as floppy disks. Magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine code generated by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

As described above, the present invention has been described by specific embodiments such as specific components and the like. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations are possible from these descriptions.

Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described, and all of the equivalents or equivalents of the claims, as well as the following claims, belong to the scope of the present invention .

710: region of interest extraction unit
720: image processing unit
730: division
740: display unit

Claims (19)

Extracting, by the ROI extractor, ROI information on the medical image based on attribute information of the medical image of the patient;
Extracting image characteristic information by an image processing process of the medical image in an image processor;
A splitter divides the medical image into a plurality of groups using information on a body part, an organ, and a lesion of each of the slices constituting the medical image included in the ROI information and the image characteristic information. Dividing by and assigning a priority to each of the divided plurality of groups based on the ROI information; And
The display unit displays a representation image corresponding to at least one of the plurality of groups to the user, and corresponds to groups adjacent to the group having the highest priority around the representation image corresponding to the group having the highest priority. Disposing and displaying a representation image;
Medical image processing and display method comprising a. The method of claim 1,
Selecting, by the divider, a group corresponding to the representation image in response to a user input of the representation image; And
A group subdivided into the selected group using at least one of the attribute information, information on organs and lesions of the image characteristic information, computer aided diagnostic (CAD) information, and the number of slices included in the selected group Subdividing into;
Medical image processing and display method further comprising. The method of claim 1,
The attribute information includes at least one of patient age, patient gender, order, patient's diagnostic record, radiologist information, clinician information, location of lesion, type of lesion, and organ. Medical image processing and display method comprising the above. The method of claim 1,
Extracting the ROI information may include
And the region of interest extracting the region of interest information by additionally considering abnormality region information included in the image characteristic information or computer-assisted diagnostic (CAD) information. 5. The method of claim 4,
Dividing the medical image into a plurality of groups
Medical image processing and display further subdividing the plurality of groups based on at least one of the attribute information, the image characteristic information, and the computer aided diagnosis (CAD) information and the ROI information extracted in consideration of the additional consideration Way. The method of claim 1,
Selecting, by the dividing unit, the highest priority group most relevant to the ROI information among the divided groups based on the ROI information;
Further comprising:
Displaying the representation image to the user
And a representation image corresponding to the group of the highest priority group and the adjacent group of the group of the highest priority group. The method of claim 1,
Differentially dividing the divided group based on the ROI information from the division unit according to the relation with the ROI information;
Further comprising:
Displaying the representation image to the user
And sequentially displaying the medical image and differentially adjusting the displayed rate or the sampling rate of the slice according to the differential result of the group to which the currently displayed slice belongs. The method of claim 1,
Displaying the representation image to the user
Setting at least one of the plurality of groups as a preview area, and displaying a preview screen for the preview area as the representation image; And
Providing a user adjustment menu for the range of the preview area, and adjusting the range of the preview area in response to the user's input through the user adjustment menu;
Medical image processing and display method comprising a. The method of claim 1,
Displaying the representation image to the user
Selecting at least one image of the at least one of the plurality of groups, and displaying at least a portion of the selected image as the representation image; And
Simultaneously displaying the relative positions occupied by the displayed images in the plurality of groups.
Medical image processing and display method comprising a. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for executing the method of any one of claims 1 to 9 is recorded. A region of interest extraction unit configured to extract region of interest information on the medical image based on attribute information of the medical image of the patient;
An image processor extracting image characteristic information by an image processing process of the medical image;
The medical image is divided into a plurality of groups using information on a body part, an organ, and a lesion of each of the slices constituting the medical image included in the ROI information and the image characteristic information. A divider configured to give a priority to each of the divided plurality of groups based on the ROI information; And
Representation images corresponding to at least one of the plurality of groups are displayed to a user, and a representation image corresponding to groups adjacent to the group of the highest priority in the periphery of the representation image corresponding to the group of the highest priority A display unit configured to display the arrangement;
Medical image processing and display device comprising a. 12. The method of claim 11,
A user interface to receive a user input for the representation image;
Further comprising:
The division unit selects a group corresponding to the representation image in response to the user input, selects the attribute information, information on organs and lesions of the image characteristic information, computer aided diagnostic (CAD) information, and the selected group. Subdividing the selected group into subdivided groups using at least one of the number of slices included
Medical image processing and display device. 12. The method of claim 11,
The ROI extracting unit
Consider at least one of the patient age, patient gender, order, patient's diagnostic record, radiologist information, clinician information, location of lesion, type of lesion, organ Medical image processing and display device for extracting the region of interest information. 12. The method of claim 11,
The ROI extracting unit
And extracting the ROI information by additionally considering abnormality information included in the image characteristic information or computer aided diagnostic (CAD) information. 15. The method of claim 14,
The divider
Medical image processing and display further subdividing the plurality of groups based on at least one of the attribute information, the image characteristic information, and the computer aided diagnosis (CAD) information and the ROI information extracted in consideration of the additional consideration Device. 12. The method of claim 11,
The divider
Selecting a priority group most relevant to the ROI information among the divided groups based on the ROI information,
The display unit
And a representation image corresponding to the priority group and an expression image corresponding to an adjacent group of the priority group. 12. The method of claim 11,
The display unit
And sequentially displaying the medical image and differentially adjusting the displayed speed or the sampling rate of the slice according to the relation with the ROI information of the group to which the currently displayed slice belongs. 12. The method of claim 11,
The display unit
Setting at least one of the plurality of groups as a preview area, displaying a preview screen for the preview area as the representation image,
The medical image processing and display device
A user interface for providing a user adjustment menu for the range of the preview area, and adjusting the range of the preview area in response to the user input through the user adjustment menu;
Medical image processing and display device further comprising. 12. The method of claim 11,
The display unit
Selecting at least one image of the at least one of the plurality of groups, displaying at least a portion of the selected image as the representation image,
And a relative position occupied by the displayed image in the plurality of groups.

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