Method for processing biomagnetic field data, magnetic field contour mapping, forming their waveforms and a biomagnetic instrument using the same

• US 20020045813A1
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hiroyuki, Tsukada, Keiji, Kawasaki, Takafumi, Machida, Kazuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 6,961,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/409
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/243 specially adapted for magnetocardiographic [MCG] signals
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/922 including image analysis

Abstract

A method for processing biomagnetic fields generated by biocurrents resulting from activities of human brain or myocardia and its mapping apparatus are provided, which features biomagnetic measurement and its analysis, magnetic field mapping and its imaging and their waveform generation by a simple operation. Biomagnetic fields emitted from the patient are measured at a plurality of measurement positions, and a contour map of magnetic field obtained as a result of processing of these measured biomagnetic fields is imaged in the magnetic contour map display apparatus, which display apparatus comprises: the process function display area indicating process function items including measurement; and the analysis data display area which displays the waveform together with a designated measurement time, the waveform being generated during measurement at least based on the measured biomagnetic fields and during the designated measurement period of time.

Claims

1. A processing method comprising the steps of:

displaying on a screen a plurality of measurement positions of a patient at which biomagnetic fields emitted from a patient are measured;

designating a measurement position at which information on a result of its measurement is required to be displayed; and

displaying information on a result of measurement at the designated measurement position on the basis of information recorded.

2. A processing method according to claim 1, wherein said screen includes:

a display area for displaying said measurement position,

a display area for displaying information on the patient; and

a display area for displaying a result of measurement at the designated measurement position.

12. A biomagnetic field map display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

specifying a sampling time and its interval through a sampling item displayed on said operating region display section; and

displaying a biomagnetic field or its processed magnetic field obtained at the specified sampling time and the interval on said analysis data display section.

13. A biomagnetic field map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said analysis data display section includes an area to display scroll frames for designating a measurement time scale, and displays a partial enlarged waveform of said biomagnetic field or said processed magnetic field corresponding to said measurement time scale on said analysis data display section.

15. A biomagnetic field mapping apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for forming a subtraction time integral map, which obtains a subtraction between two time integral data which are obtained over two different periods of time, and generates its subtraction time integral map.

17. A biomagnetic field mapping apparatus according to either one of claims 1-3, further comprising:

a reference wave display means for displaying a reference wave relating to the biomagnetic fields obtained on a time axis; and

means for changing a start time of computation by changing the position of cursors provided movably on said reference wave.

19. A biomagnetic field map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processed magnetic field is formed using the biomagnetic field subjected to the averaging operation.

20. A biomagnetic field map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said averaging condition set-up operation includes designation of a channel, reference time setting, off-set time setting, and/or adding time.

21. A biomagnetic field map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a reference time for the averaging operation is set at an intersection between the biomagnetic waveform and a predetermined threshold therefor.

22. A biomagnetic field map display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a channel subject to an averaging operation can be designated either by clicking a channel text frame in an averaging condition item menu displayed on the operating region display area or by clicking a region where a waveform of a preferred channel is displayed using a mouse.

3. A processing method of displaying information on a result of measurement at a plurality of measurement positions of a patient on the basis of information recorded, comprising the steps of:

displaying information on the result of measurement on the display with a time axis of abscissa; and

displaying information obtained on the basis of a result of measurement at a designated time designated to display.

4. A processing method according to claim 3, wherein the same comprises the steps of:

displaying a horizontal bar having a mark which designates a time position at which information on the basis of the result of measurement is to be displayed; and

designating said time position to be displayed by moving said mark along said horizontal bar.

5. A processing method for obtaining a plurality of biomagnetic fields emitted from a patient at a plurality of measurement positions and executing processing of data obtained as a result of such measurement at a specified measurement position on the basis of data having been recorded, comprising the steps of:

setting a reference time condition;

obtaining data at measurement positions for a plurality of times under the set-up conditions and with reference to the reference time; and

averaging a plurality of data obtained at each measurement position.

6. A processing method for obtaining a plurality of biomagnetic fields emitted from a patient at a plurality of measurement positions and executing processing of data obtained as a result of such measurement at a specified measurement position on the basis of data having been recorded, comprising the steps of:

displaying information on the result of the measurement obtained at said plurality of measurement positions by superimposing.

7. A biomagnetic field data mapping and display apparatus which measures biomagnetic fields emitted from a patient at a plurality of measurement positions, and displays a map of biomagnetic field data which is obtained as a result of processing of the plurality of data, comprising:

a process function display section for indicating process function items including measurement; and

an analysis data display section which produces a waveform at least based on a biomagnetic field obtained during its measurement and which is formed during a designated measurement time for displaying said waveform together with said designated measurement time.

8. A biomagnetic field data mapping and display apparatus which measures biomagnetic fields emitted from a patient at a plurality of measurement positions, and displays a map of biomagnetic field data which is obtained as a result of processing of the plurality of data, comprising:

a process function display section for indicating process function items including measurement; and

an analysis data display section for displaying biomagnetic fields measured and their processed magnetic field data, wherein the analysis data display section includes a scroll bar and a scroll frame in a bottom portion thereof, said scroll frame movable along said scroll bar, and wherein a waveform displayed on said analysis data display section is a partial enlarged portion of a wave obtained during measurement time corresponding to a time scale W of the scroll frame.

9. A biomagnetic field data map display apparatus for displaying a magnetic field map which is obtained by processing biomagnetic field data obtained at a plurality of positions of a patient, comprising:

a process function display section for indicating process function items including measurement; and

an analysis data display section for displaying biomagnetic fields measured and a processed magnetic field thereof, wherein the analysis data display section includes an auxiliary channel or a reference channel display area provided in a bottom portion thereof, said auxiliary channel or said reference channel relating to said analysis data.

10. A biomagnetic field map display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said reference channel displays a reference wave which is one of biowaves related to biomagnetic fields such as an electrocardiac wave, brain wave, blood stream wave, blood pressure wave or the like, their displayed biomagnetic fields and their processed magnetic fields.

11. A biomagnetic field map display apparatus for detecting biomagnetic fields emitted from a patient at a plurality of measurement positions and displaying a map of a magnetic fields obtained, comprising:

a process function display section for indicating process function items including measurement;

an analysis data display section for displaying biomagnetic fields measured and a processed magnetic field map obtained by processing thereof;

an operating region display section for indicating operating items for a biomagnetic field corresponding to its processed magnetic field, wherein said analysis data display section displays a biomagnetic field or a processed magnetic field corresponding to a channel defined by a row and a column;

said operating region display section displays a selection channel item which is correlated with the channel defined by the row and column which is displayed on the analysis data display section;

means for selecting said selection channel item;

means for displaying a biomagnetic field or its processed magnetic field corresponding to a selected channel item on said analysis data display section; and

means for discriminating the selected channel item from other channel items.

14. A biomagnetic field mapping apparatus for detecting biomagnetic fields emitted from a patient using magnetic sensors of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDS) at a plurality of measurement positions of multichannels, and displaying a map of magnetic fields as a result of their processing, comprising:

a time integral data generation means for integrating biomagnetic field data for a predetermined period of time, and executing contour mapping of equivalent points of thus obtained data; and

means for displaying a contour map of the time integral biomagnetic field data obtained.

16. A biomagnetic field mapping apparatus for displaying a contour map of magnetic fields by measuring biomagnetic fields measured at a plurality of measurement positions of a patient using superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) and processing thus obtained biomagnetic field data, further comprising:

a propagation data forming means for obtaining biomagnetic field data as a propagation data which propagates in a predetermined time scale; and

means for displaying a map of distribution of propagation for the data obtained by said propagation data forming means.

18. A biomagnetic field data mapping apparatus for displaying a contour map of magnetic fields obtained by measuring biomagnetic fields emitted from a patient at a plurality of measurement positions thereof and processing the biomagnetic fields thus measured, comprising:

an analysis data display area for displaying measured biomagnetic fields and a map of magnetic fields obtained by processing said measured biomagnetic fields; and

an operating region display area for displaying operating items to be subjected to data analysis, wherein said operating region display area displays operating items for entering an averaging mode and averaging conditions, and said analysis data display area displays biomagnetic fields displayed on a time axis and an averaging time therefor, such that operation for setting the averaging conditions can be executed visually simultaneous with the display of related waves.

23. A processing method for measuring biomagnetic fields on a patient at a plurality of measurement positions, and processing the same with respect to a designated measurement position on the basis of its information stored, further comprising the steps of:

setting a pitch of magnetic field contour mapping; and

displaying a contour map of magnetic field obtained at a designated pitch.

24. A processing method for measuring biomagnetic fields on a patient at a plurality of measurement positions, and processing the same with respect to a designated measurement position on the basis of its information stored, comprising the steps of:

displaying waveforms changing on a time axis;

setting a plurality of periods of time for said waveforms on said time axis; and

displaying contour maps of magnetic field for the designated periods of time.