Medical image management system and medical image management method

• US 20070225574A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seventh Dimension Design, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seventh Dimension Design, Inc.
• Inventors: Ueda, Atsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras

Abstract

A medical image management system includes: a medical imaging device for imaging a patient to receive a medical treatment and creating a medical moving picture; and recording means for recording the medical moving picture imaged by the medical imaging device. The system further includes: measurement means for measuring biological information on a person who performs the medical treatment; and index addition means for adding an index to the medical moving picture recorded in the recording means, according to the measurement result obtained by the measurement means. By providing this system, it is possible to add an index to the medical moving picture recorded, according to the change of the biological information on the person who performs medical treatment on a patient.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A medical image management system (1) comprising:

a medical imaging device (2) configured to capture a medical movie of a patient who receives medical treatment, said medical movie consisting of a plurality of still images; and

a recording means (4) configured to record said movie captured with said medical imaging device (2),

wherein said medical image management system further includes;

a measurement means (3) configured to measure physiological conditions of a surgeon who performs medical treatment on said patient and to obtain physiological data; and

an indexing means (5) configured to add indices to said medical movie recorded by said recording means (4).

25. The medical image management system of claim 24, wherein said indexing means (5) comprises:

a data receiving means (51) configured to receive said physiological data from said measurement means (3);

a comparison means (52) configured to compare said physiological data received by said data receiving means (51) with a predetermined threshold; and

a first sampling means (53) configured to sample still-image information from said movie if said first comparison means (52) detects that said physiological data exceeds said threshold,

wherein said still-image information is sampled by said first sampling means (53) from a still image of the moment when the physiological data exceeds said threshold.

26. The medical image management system of claim 25,

wherein said indexing means (5) further comprises a first start-and-end-index-recording means (54) configured to record said still-image information sampled by said first sampling means (53) as start-index information of said medical movie in said recording means (4),

wherein, if said first comparison means (52) detects that said physiological data falls below said threshold after said first sampling means samples said still-image information, said first start-and-end-index-recording means (53) samples still-image information from said medical movie recorded in said recording means (4) and records said still-image information as end-index information of said medical movie in said recording means (4), and

wherein said still-image information is sampled by said first start-and-end-index-recording means (53) from a still image of the moment when said physiological data falls below said threshold.

27. The medical image management system of claim 24, wherein said indexing means (5) includes:

a data receiving means (51) configured to receive physiological data obtained by said measurement means (3);

a physiological-data-saving means (55) configured to save said physiological data received by said data receiving means (51) in chronological order;

a difference-value-calculating means (56) configured to calculate a chronological difference-value based on adjacent two of said physiological data saved in said physiological-data-saving means (55);

a second comparison means (57) configured to compare said difference-value calculated by said difference-value-calculating means (56) with a predetermined difference-value; and

a second sampling means (58) configured to sample still-image information from said medical movie if said second comparison means (57) detects that said calculated difference-value exceeds said predetermined difference-value,

wherein said still-image information is sampled by said second sampling means (58) from a still image of the moment when the older physiological data of said adjacent two of physiological data that are used to calculate said difference-value.

28. The medical image management system of claim 27,

wherein said indexing means (5) further comprises a second start-and-end-index-recording means (58) configured to record said still-image information sampled by said second sampling means (58) as start-index information of said medical movie in said recording means (4),

wherein, if said second comparison means (57) detects that said physiological data falls below said threshold after said second sampling means samples said still-image information, said second start-and-end-index-recording means (58) samples still-image information from said medical movie recorded in said recording means (4) and records said still-image information as end-index-information of said medical movie in said recording means (4), and

wherein said still-image information is sampled by said second start-and-end-index-recording means (58) from a still image of the moment when said physiological data falls below said threshold.

29. The medical image management system of claim 26 further comprising an index-adjusting means (60) configured to shift back said start-index information by a predetermined time length and to shift forward said end-index information by a predetermined time length.

30. The medical image management system of claim 28 further comprising an index-adjusting means (60) configured to shift back said start-index information by a predetermined time length and to shift forward said end-index information by a predetermined time length.

31. The medical image management system of claim 26, wherein said still-image information to be recorded as said start-index information and/or after said end-index information is continuously sampled for a predetermined time length before and/or said first sampling means (53) and said second sampling means (58) samples said still-image information.

32. The medical image management system of claim 28, wherein said still-image information to be recorded as said start-index information and/or after said end-index information is continuously sampled for a predetermined time length before and/or said first sampling means (53) and said second sampling means (58) samples said still-image information.

33. The medical image management system of claim 26, wherein said medical movie and/or said still-images saved in said recording means (4) from when said start-index information is sampled and recorded in said recording means (4) to when said end-index information is sampled and recorded in said recording means (4).

34. The medical image management system of claim 28, wherein said medical movie and/or said still-images saved in said recording means. (4) from when said start-index information is sampled and recorded in said recording means (4) to when said end-index information is sampled and recorded in said recording means (4).

35. The medical image management system of claim 24 further including:

a separating means (61) configured to separate a plurality of chronologically-ordered still images from said medical movie recorded in said recording means (4);

a calculating means (62) configured to calculate coordinate values in a color space of each still image that is separated by said separating means (61);

a selecting means (63) configured to select adjacent two of said still images if the difference between the coordinate values of the two still images exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

an adding means configured to add image difference information to each of said still images selected by said selecting means.

36. The medical image management system of claim 24, further comprising an output means (7) comprising:

a first display (A) configured to display said medical movie captured with said medical imaging device (2); and

a second display (C) configured to display said still images sampled by said first sampling means (53) and said second sampling means (58).

37. The medical image management system of claim 24, wherein said measurement means (3) is configured to measure at least one physiological parameter selected from a group consisting of said surgeon'"'"'s heart beat, blood pressure, sweat production, body temperature, electroencephalogram, grip strength, point of gaze, blink, pupil, eye movement, respiratory rate (including apneic period), pneumogram, number of swallowing, skin electric conductance, electric potential difference of muscle, neurotransmitter level, blood glucose level, blood flow rate, blood composition, amount of various hormones, chewing pressure, electrocardiogram, galvanic skin reflex, fingertip pulse wave, posture or position, tear production, tear composition, saliva production, saliva composition, gastric secretion, gastric fluid composition, facial expression (measurement in characteristic analysis), vocal change (measurement in characteristic analysis), lip reading (measurement in characteristic analysis), limb shivering, urine (protein level, sugar level, occult blood level).

38. The medical image management system of claim 37, wherein all of said physiological data obtained by said measurement means (3) is recorded in said recording means (4) together with said medical movie that chronologically corresponds to said physiological data.

39. The medical image management system of claim 24 further configured to select movies to which a lager number of said indices are added from said plurality of medical movies recorded in said recording means (4), and to carry out a predetermined process on said selected medical movies.

40. The medical image management system of claim 24, further including a manual indexing means configured to enable said surgeon to add indices to said medical movies.

41. A medical image management method of producing a medical movie of a patient who receives medical treatment and of managing said medical movie, the method including steps of:

recording said medical movies while obtaining physiological data of a surgeon; and

adding indices to said medical movie according to said physiological data of said surgeon.

42. The medical image management method of claim 41, wherein said indices are added to said medical movies according to a comparison between said obtained physiological data and a threshold or according to a chronological change in said obtained physiological data.

43. The medical image management method of claim 41, wherein said step of adding indices includes a step of sampling still-image information of still images contained in said medical movie.

44. The medical movie management method of claim 41, further including steps of:

calculating the moments to start sampling and to stop sampling said medical movie based on two of said sampled still-image information; and

sampling and recording said medical movie or still images contained in said medical movie captured between said calculated moments.

45. The medical image management method of claim 41, further including a step of simultaneously displaying said medical movie captured by said medical imaging device (2) and said medical movie sampled according to said physiological data of said surgeon.

46. The medical image management method of claim 41, said physiological data of said surgeon includes at least one parameter selected from a group consisting of said surgeon'"'"'s heart beat, blood pressure, sweat production, body temperature, electroencephalogram, grip strength, point of gaze, blink, pupil, eye movement, respiratory rate (including apneic period), pneumogram, number of swallowing, skin electric conductance, electric potential difference of muscle, neurotransmitter level, blood glucose level, blood flow rate, blood composition, amount of various hormones, chewing pressure, electrocardiogram, galvanic skin reflex, fingertip pulse wave, posture or position, tear production, tear composition, saliva production, saliva composition, gastric secretion, gastric fluid composition, facial expression (measurement in characteristic analysis), vocal change (measurement in characteristic analysis), lip reading (measurement in characteristic analysis), limb shivering, urine (protein level, sugar level, occult blood level).

47. The medical image management method of claim 41, wherein information about events that occur during medical treatment is saved in said medical movies.

48. The medical image management method of claim 41, further including a step of selecting a certain medical movie depending on the total number of the indices added to the medical movie.

49. The medical image management method of claim 41, further including a step of adding indices to said medical movies according to the operation by said surgeon.