CASE IMAGE SEARCH APPARATUS AND SYSTEM

• US 20080240494A1
• Filed: 03/30/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Udagawa, Takayuki, Oosawa, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10072 Tomographic images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20108 Interactive selection of 2D slice in a 3D data set
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30061 Lung
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30096 Tumor; Lesion
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients

Abstract

An arbitrary cross-sectional image (MPR image) is used as an image for searching a case DB which has registered case images for a case image similar to an image to be diagnosed. A user terminal produces an axial image with reference to a diseased site in the MPR image, the axial image containing the diseased site, calculates a feature value (first feature value) of the diseased site contained in the axial image, and sends the feature value to the case DB. A case image server compares the received first feature value with a feature value (second feature value) for each case registered in a feature value DB, searches the case DB for a case image having a second feature value similar to the first feature value based on the comparison result, and sends the searched case image to the user terminal.

Claims

1. A case image search apparatus comprising:

a cross-sectional image specifying device which specifies an arbitrary cross-sectional image obtained by cutting a three-dimensional image to be diagnosed with a cutting plane arbitrarily positioned and angled;

a cross-sectional image producing device which produces a cross-sectional image from the three-dimensional image with reference to a diseased site in the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image, the cross-sectional image oriented in an axial direction set in advance and containing the diseased site;

a feature value calculating device which calculates a first feature value of the diseased site contained in the produced cross-sectional image based on the cross-sectional image;

a database which stores a plurality of case images and a second feature value of each of the case images, which is associated with a case image, the second feature value for diseased site in a cross-sectional image oriented in the axial direction set in advance; and

a searching device which compares the first feature value with the second feature value and searches the database for a case image having a second feature value similar to the first feature value.

2. The case image search apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the database stores each of the case images as a three-dimensional image,

the case image search apparatus, further comprises:

a first cross-sectional image producing device which produces a first arbitrary cross-sectional image from the three-dimensional image based on the specification by the cross-sectional image specifying device;

a first displaying device which displays the produced first arbitrary cross-sectional image;

a second cross-sectional image producing device which produces a second arbitrary cross-sectional image from the three-dimensional image corresponding to the case image searched for by the searching device, the second arbitrary cross-sectional image containing a diseased site and angled by the same amount as that specified by the cross-sectional image specifying device; and

a second display device which displays the produced second arbitrary cross-sectional image.

3. The case image search apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a single display device functions as the first and second displaying devices, and the first and second arbitrary cross-sectional images are displayed at the same time or on separate screens.

4. The case image search apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the database stores case images along with diagnosis information for each of the case images, and

the second displaying device displays the second arbitrary cross-sectional image along with the diagnosis information corresponding to the second arbitrary cross-sectional image.

8. The case image search apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a single display device functions as the first and second displaying devices, and the first arbitrary cross-sectional image, the second arbitrary cross-sectional image, and the produced cross-sectional image are displayed at the same time or on separate screens.

5. A case image search apparatus comprising:

a cross-sectional image specifying device which specifies a first arbitrary cross-sectional image obtained by cutting a three-dimensional image to be diagnosed with a cutting plane arbitrarily positioned and angled;

a first feature value calculating device which calculates a first feature value of a diseased site in the specified first arbitrary cross-sectional image;

a database which stores a plurality of case images as three-dimensional images;

a second cross-sectional image producing device which produces a second arbitrary cross-sectional image for each of the case images registered in the database based on the three-dimensional image of the case image, the second arbitrary cross-sectional image containing a diseased site and angled by the same amount as that specified by the cross-sectional image specifying device;

a second feature value calculating device which calculates a second feature value of the diseased site in the second arbitrary cross-sectional image produced for each of the case images; and

a searching device which compares the first feature value with the second feature value and searches the database for a case image having a second feature value similar to the first feature value.

6. The case image search apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a first cross-sectional image producing device which produces a first arbitrary cross-sectional image from the three-dimensional image based on the specification by the cross-sectional image specifying device;

a first displaying device which displays the produced first arbitrary cross-sectional image; and

a second display device which displays the second arbitrary cross-sectional image produced by the second cross-sectional image producing device, the second arbitrary cross-sectional image corresponding to the case image searched for by the searching device.

7. The case image search apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a single display device functions as the first and second displaying devices, and the first and second arbitrary cross-sectional images are displayed at the same time or on separate screens.

9. The case image search apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the database stores case images along with diagnosis information for each of the case images, and

the second displaying device displays the second arbitrary cross-sectional image along with the diagnosis information corresponding to the second arbitrary cross-sectional image.

10. A case image search system comprising a user terminal and a case image server connected to the user terminal via a network,

the user terminal including:

a cross-sectional image specifying device which specifies an arbitrary cross-sectional image obtained by cutting a three-dimensional image to be diagnosed with a cutting plane arbitrarily positioned and angled;

a cross-sectional image producing device which produces a cross-sectional image from the three-dimensional image with reference to a diseased site in the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image, the cross-sectional image oriented in an axial direction set in advance and containing the diseased site;

a first feature value calculating device which calculates a first feature value of the diseased site contained in the produced cross-sectional image based on the cross-sectional image; and

a first communication device which sends the calculated first feature value to the case image server and receives a case image searched for by the case image server, and

the case image server including;

a database which stores a plurality of case images and a second feature value of each of the case images which is associated with a case image, the second feature value for diseased site in a cross-sectional image oriented in the axial direction set in advance;

a searching device which compares the first feature value with the second feature value and searches the database for a case image having a second feature value similar to the first feature value; and

a second communication device which receives the first feature value from the user terminal and sends the searched case image to the user terminal.

11. A case image search system comprising a user terminal and a case image server connected to the user terminal via a network,

the user terminal including:

a cross-sectional image specifying device which specifies an arbitrary cross-sectional image obtained by cutting a three-dimensional image to be diagnosed with a cutting plane arbitrarily positioned and angled;

a cross-sectional image producing device which produces a cross-sectional image from the three-dimensional image with reference to a diseased site in the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image, the cross-sectional image oriented in an axial direction set in advance and containing the diseased site; and

a first communication device which sends the produced cross-sectional image to the case image server and receives a case image searched for by the case image server, and

the case image server including;

a feature value calculating device which calculates a first feature value of the diseased site in the produced cross-sectional image based on the cross-sectional image;

a database which stores a plurality of case images and a second feature value of each of the case images which is associated with a case image, the second feature value for diseased site in a cross-sectional image oriented in the axial direction set in advance;

a searching device which compares the first feature value with the second feature value and searches the database for a case image having a second feature value similar to the first feature value; and

a second communication device which receives the reference cross-sectional image and sends the searched case image to the user terminal.

12. A case image search system comprising a user terminal and a case image server connected to the user terminal via a network,

the user terminal including:

a cross-sectional image specifying device which specifies an arbitrary cross-sectional image obtained by cutting a three-dimensional image to be diagnosed with a cutting plane arbitrarily positioned and angled;

a feature value calculating device which calculates a first feature value of the diseased site contained in the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image based on the cross-sectional image; and

a first communication device which sends the calculated first feature value and angular information on the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image to the case image server and receives a case image searched for by the case image server, and

the case image server including;

a database which stores a plurality of case images as three-dimensional images;

a cross-sectional image producing device which produces an arbitrary cross-sectional image for each of the case images registered in the database based on the three-dimensional image of each of the case images, the cross-sectional image containing a diseased site and angled by the same amount as the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image;

a second feature value calculating device which calculates a second feature value of the diseased site in the arbitrary cross-sectional image produced for each of the case images;

a searching device which compares the first feature value with the second feature value and searches the database for a case image having a second feature value similar to the first feature value; and

a second communication device which receives the calculated first feature value and the angular information on the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image from the user terminal and sends the searched case image to the user terminal.

13. A case image search system comprising a user terminal and a case image server connected to the user terminal via a network,

the user terminal including:

a cross-sectional image specifying device which specifies an arbitrary cross-sectional image obtained by cutting a three-dimensional image to be diagnosed with a cutting plane arbitrarily positioned and angled; and

a first communication device which sends the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image and angular information on the arbitrary cross-sectional image to the case image server and receives a case image searched for by the case image server, and

the case image server including;

a first feature value calculating device which calculates a first feature value of the diseased site in the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image based on the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image;

a database which stores a plurality of case images as three-dimensional images;

a cross-sectional image producing device which produces an arbitrary cross-sectional image for each of the case images registered in the database based on the three-dimensional image of each of the case images, the cross-sectional image containing a diseased site and angled by the same amount as the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image;

a second feature value calculating device which calculates a second feature value of the diseased site in the arbitrary cross-sectional image produced for each of the case images;

a searching device which compares the first feature value with the second feature value and searches the database for a case image having a second feature value similar to the first feature value; and

a second communication device which receives the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image and the angular information on the specified arbitrary cross-sectional image from the user terminal and sends the searched case image to the user terminal.