CONTINUOUS X-RAY IMAGE SCREENING EXAMINATION DEVICE, PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20090097731A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kanazawa University
• Original Assignee: Kanazawa University
• Inventors: Tanaka, Rie, Okazaki, Nobuo, Sanada, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/029 Measuring or recording blood output from the heart, e.g. minute volume A61B8/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/469 for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/507 for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30048 Heart; Cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30061 Lung
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0016 involving temporal comparison
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51

Abstract

Using nature that a pixel value in a lung of a chest X-ray moving image varies due to heart beat, the variation information on the pixel value is effectively used for diagnosis such as of a lung embolism or a heart disease, considering the variation information as lung blood flow information. A continuous X-ray image screening examination device 1 receives a chest X-ray moving image from an X-ray detector 2 and receives an electrocardiogram to become original information on a heat beat variation from an electrocardiogram recording apparatus 5. From the dynamic state of the heart wall measured by the electrocardiograph or the chest X-ray moving image, the heart dynamic state during the cardiac chamber systolic and diastolic phases is grasped, and information such as the variation of the pixel value of the chest X-ray moving image due to increase (lung blood flow increase) of the blood flow from the heart to the lung during the cardiac chamber systolic phase is generated.

Claims

1. A continuous X-ray image screening examination device to which an X-ray moving image of an examinee is input and which generates information for assessing blood flow with the X-ray moving image, characterized by comprising

an image store storing a plurality of frames configuring the X-ray moving image and

an analysis part reading a frame from the image store, calculating a pixel value within a predetermined range for each of the read frames and generating temporal variation of the calculated pixel value reflecting a heart beat variation as blood flow information.

2. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 1, characterized in that

the analysis part reads the frame from the image store to generate blood flow information on temporal relation to a heart beat phase based on the read frame.

3. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 1 further comprising

an electrocardiogram store where an electrocardiogram of the examinee is stored,

characterized in that the analysis part reads the frame from the image store and the electrocardiogram from the electrocardiogram store respectively to generate blood flow information on temporal relation to the electrocardiogram based on the read frame.

4. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 3,

characterized in that the analysis part has local pulmonary blood flow analyzing means for reading a plurality of frames from the image store and an electrocardiogram from the electrocardiogram store respectively, calculating an average pixel value of any region among a lung field region, a lung field region subjected to dividing and a region of interest designated by an operator for each of the read frame and generating an average pixel value for each of the regions and the read electrocardiogram as chronologically synchronized information.

5. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 3,

characterized in that the analysis part has local cardiac blood flow analyzing means for reading a plurality of frames from the image store and an electrocardiogram from the electrocardiogram store respectively and calculating an average pixel value of a predetermined region inside a mediastinal part for each of the read frames.

6. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 4,

characterized in that the local pulmonary blood flow analyzing means further recognizes one heart beat from the electrocardiogram, calculates a rate of change of pixel from the average pixel value of each frame for one heart beat and compares the calculated rate of change of pixel for each of the regions.

7. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 4,

characterized in that the local pulmonary blood flow analyzing means further calculates at least one among delay time since an R wave occurs in the electrocardiogram until the average pixel value is minimized, an angle of rising at and after a time point to minimize the average pixel value and the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the average pixel value.

8. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 4,

characterized in that the analysis part further has heart wall movement analyzing means for detecting a boundary site between the lung field region and the heart based on the pixel value for each frame to calculate quantity of variation of the boundary site as heart wall movement.

9. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 4,

characterized in that the analysis part further has pulmonary blood flow dynamic state analyzing means for reading a plurality of frames from the image store and the electrocardiogram from the electrocardiogram store respectively, specifying, from the electrocardiogram, timing when an R wave occurs, specifying a frame corresponding to the R wave, calculating the difference between pixel values of the specified frame and another frame for one heart beat and generating an image of a pulmonary blood flow dynamic state with the difference of the pixel values.

10. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 4,

characterized in that the analysis part further has pulmonary blood flow dynamic state analyzing means for reading a plurality of frames from the image store and the electrocardiogram from the electrocardiogram store respectively, calculating the difference between pixel values of the temporarily adjacent frames and generating an image of pulmonary blood flow dynamic state with the difference of the pixel values.

11. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 4

characterized in that the analysis part further has pulmonary blood flow dynamic state analyzing means for reading a plurality of frames from the image store and the electrocardiogram from the electrocardiogram store respectively, calculating an average value from the maximum value and the minimum value of pixel values of each frame for one heart beat for each pixel based on the electrocardiogram, calculating the difference between the pixel value and the calculated average value and generating an image of pulmonary blood flow dynamic state with the difference of the pixel values.

12. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 4,

characterized in that the analysis part further has pulmonary blood flow distribution analyzing means for reading a plurality of frames from the image store and the electrocardiogram from the electrocardiogram store respectively, specifying, from the electrocardiogram, timing when an R wave occurs, specifying a frame corresponding to the R wave, generating an MIP image for one heart beat, calculating the difference between pixel values of the MIP image and the image of the specified frame and generating an image of pulmonary blood flow distribution with the difference of the pixel values.

13. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 9,

further comprising a pulse waveform store storing an X-ray pulse waveform specifying timing for detecting X-ray,

characterized in that the pulmonary blood flow dynamic state analyzing means reads an X-ray pulse waveform from the pulse waveform store to specify a frame corresponding to an R wave based on the X-ray pulse waveform.

14. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 1,

characterized in that the analysis part calculates a pixel value of a lung region of the read frame, determines a frame corresponding to an R wave in heart beat phase based on the pixel value and generates pulmonary blood information.

15. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 1,

characterized in that the analysis part calculates heart wall movement from the read frame, determines a frame corresponding to an R wave in heart beat phase based on the heart wall movement and generates pulmonary blood information.

16. The continuous X-ray image screening examination device according to claim 5,

characterized in that the analysis part further has

cardiac blood flow dynamic state analyzing means for reading a plurality of frames from the image store and an electrocardiogram from the electrocardiogram store respectively, specifying, from the electrocardiogram, timing when an R wave occurs, specifying a frame corresponding to the R wave, calculating the difference between pixel values of the specified frame and another frame for one heart beat and generating an image of cardiac blood flow dynamic state with the difference of the pixel values and

cardiac blood flow distribution analyzing means for reading a plurality of frames from the image store and an electrocardiogram from the electrocardiogram store respectively, specifying, from the electrocardiogram, timing when an R wave occurs, specifying a frame corresponding to the R wave, generating an MIP image for one heart beat, calculating the difference between pixel values of the MIP image and the image of the specified frame and generating an image of cardiac blood flow distribution with the difference of the pixel values, and

characterized in that

the local pulmonary blood flow analyzing means further recognizes one heart beat from the electrocardiogram, calculates a rate of change of pixel from the average pixel value of each frame for one heart beat and compares the calculated rate of change of pixel for each of the regions.

17. A continuous X-ray image screening examination program using an apparatus comprising an image store storing a plurality of frames configuring an X-ray moving image of an examinee to generate information for assessing blood flow with the X-ray moving image, the program causing a computer configuring the apparatus to execute

a process (1) for reading a frame from the image store,

a process (2) for calculating a pixel value within a predetermined range for each of the read frames and

a process (3) for generating temporal variation of the calculated pixel value reflecting a heart beat variation as blood flow information.

18. The continuous X-ray image screening examination program according to claim 17, the program causing the computer to execute,

instead of the processes (2) and (3),

a process (2)′

for assuming a heart beat phase based on the read frame and

a process (3)′

for generating blood flow information from the assumed heart beat phase and the read frame.

19. The continuous X-ray image screening examination program according to claim

17, causing

a computer configuring an apparatus comprising an electrocardiogram store storing an electrocardiogram of an examinee to execute

a process (4) for reading an electrocardiogram from the electrocardiogram store,

a process (5) for assuming a heart beat phase based on the read electrocardiogram and

a process (6) for generating blood flow information from the assumed heart beat phase and the read frame.

20. A recording medium recording the continuous X-ray image screening examination program according to claim 17.