MEDICAL IMAGE DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS AND A CONTROLLING METHOD

• US 20120010496A1
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: FURUDATE, Naoyuki
• Application Number:
  US13/177,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20120010496A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/410
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/543 Control of the operation of the MR system, e.g. setting of acquisition parameters prior to or during MR data acquisition, dynamic shimming, use of one or more scout images for scan plane prescription G01R33/546 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/546 Interface between the MR system and the user, e.g. for controlling the operation of the MR system or for the design of pulse sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5602 by filtering or weighting based on different relaxation times within the sample, e.g. T1 weighting using an inversion pulse
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5635 Angiography, e.g. contrast-enhanced angiography [CE-MRA] or time-of-flight angiography [TOF-MRA]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5673 Gating or triggering based on a physiological signal other than an MR signal, e.g. ECG gating or motion monitoring using optical systems for monitoring the motion of a fiducial marker

Abstract

A medical image diagnosis apparatus according to the present embodiments includes a storage and an execution controller. The storage is configured to store therein a program for executing a plurality of processes contained in an image taking procedure or a plurality of processes contained in a post-processing procedure, while the processes are classified into a first group for which an input operation from an operator is received and a second group for which the input operation is not received, and the processes are associated with one another according to an order. The execution controller is configured to exercise control so that the processes are executed according to the order. When executing a process classified into the first group, the program displays information selected according to a purpose of the image taking procedure or the post-processing procedure, as an operation screen.

Claims

1. A medical image diagnosis apparatus comprising:

a storage configured to store therein a program for executing a plurality of processes contained in an image taking procedure or a plurality of processes contained in a post-processing procedure performed on data acquired during the image taking procedure, while the processes are classified into a first group for which an input operation from an operator is received and a second group for which the input operation is not received, and the processes are associated with one another according to an order in which the processes are to be executed during the image taking procedure or the post-processing procedure; and

an execution controller configured to exercise control so that, when a start instruction to start the image taking procedure or the post-processing procedure is received, the execution of the program is started and the processes are executed according to the order, wherein

when executing a process classified into the first group, the program displays, on a display unit, information selected according to a purpose of the image taking procedure or the post-processing procedure, as an operation screen for receiving the input operation.

2. The medical image diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the storage stores therein a plurality of programs according to purposes of the image taking procedure or the post-processing procedure, and

the execution controller reads one of the programs corresponding to the image taking procedure or the post-processing procedure instructed in the start instruction out of the storage and starts the execution of the read program.

3. The medical image diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in the program, a keyword indicating data exchanged between the processes is defined, and

the execution controller causes the data to be exchanged between the processes by using the keyword.

4. The medical image diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an editing unit configured to receive editing to the program and store the program reflecting the received editing into the storage.

5. The medical image diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the program executes the plurality of processes contained in the image taking procedure that employs a Fresh Blood Imaging (FBI) method, and

the plurality of processes include an electrocardiogram (ECG)-Prep image taking procedure for determining a delay period for an FBI image taking procedure.

6. The medical image diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the program executes the plurality of processes contained in the image taking procedure that employs a Time Spatial Labeling Inversion Pulse (Time-SLIP) method, and

the plurality of processes include a Black Blood Traveling Time (BBTI)-Prep image taking procedure for determining a BBTI for a Time-SLIP image taking procedure.

7. A medical image diagnosis apparatus comprising:

an image taking unit configured to sequentially execute a plurality of types of image taking procedures on a subject;

a storage configured to store therein a plurality of medical examination flows as clinical application scenarios (CASs) in which the plurality of types of image taking procedures are arranged in an order, to store therein a plurality of image taking conditions necessary for executing the image taking procedures, while classifying the image taking conditions into image taking conditions for which an input operation from an operator is received and image taking conditions for which the input operation is not received, and to store therein timing with which an operation screen for receiving the input operation is displayed during the medical examination flows;

a receiving unit configured to receive, from the operator, a start instruction to start a specified one of the plurality of clinical application scenarios; and

a controller configured to, when having received the start instruction, display an operation screen for receiving the input operation at the stored timing while a corresponding one of the medical examination flows is being executed and configured to ensure that an image taking parameter of the image taking conditions set by the input operation and the image taking conditions for which the input operation is not received are reflected in an image taking procedure performed after an input is made on the operation screen.

8. The medical image diagnosis apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the clinical application scenario specified through the receiving unit is a medical examination flow for sequentially executing:

a pilot scan for determining a position;

a prep scan for determining a delay period from an R wave; and

a non-contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) scan for performing an image taking procedure when the determined delay period has elapsed,

the controller displays, on an operation screen, information for determining an image taking position including a position determining image obtained by the pilot scan, at a time after the pilot scan and before the prep scan, and

the controller displays, on an operation screen, information for supporting the determination of the delay period from the R wave, at a time after the prep scan and before the non-contrast-enhanced MRA scan.

9. The medical image diagnosis apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the clinical application scenario specified through the receiving unit is a medical examination flow for sequentially executing:

a pilot scan for determining a position, a prep scan for determining a BBTI, and a non-contrast-enhanced MRA scan for performing an image taking procedure when the determined BBTI has elapsed,

the controller displays, on an operation screen, information for determining an image taking position including a position determining image obtained by the pilot scan, at a time after the pilot scan and before the prep scan, and

the controller displays, on an operation screen, information for supporting the determination of the BBTI, at a time after the prep scan and before the non-contrast-enhanced MRA scan.

10. The medical image diagnosis apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the storage stores the plurality of clinical application scenarios in an external file.

11. A controlling method comprising:

exercising control over a program for executing a plurality of processes contained in an image taking procedure or a plurality of processes contained in a post-processing procedure performed on data acquired during the image taking procedure, while the processes are classified into a first group for which an input operation from an operator is received and a second group for which the input operation is not received, and the processes are associated with one another according to an order in which the processes are to be executed during the image taking procedure or the post-processing procedure, and exercising control so that, when a start instruction to start the image taking procedure or the post-processing procedure is received, the execution of the program is started and the processes are executed according to the order, wherein

when executing a process classified into the first group, the program displays, on a display unit, information selected according to a purpose of the image taking procedure or the post-processing procedure, as an operation screen for receiving the input operation.

12. The controlling method according to claim 11, wherein the program of which the execution is started and that corresponds to the image taking procedure or the post-processing procedure instructed in the start instruction is selected out of a plurality of programs.

13. The controlling method according to claim 11, wherein

in the program, a keyword indicating data exchanged between the processes is defined, and

the data is exchanged between the processes by using the keyword.

14. The controlling method according to claim 11, wherein editing to the program is received.

15. The controlling method according to claim 11, wherein

the program executes the plurality of processes contained in the image taking procedure that employs an FBI method, and

the plurality of processes include an ECG-Prep image taking procedure for determining a delay period for an FBI image taking procedure.

16. The controlling method according to claim 11, wherein

the program executes the plurality of processes contained in the image taking procedure that employs a Time-SLIP) method, and

the plurality of processes include a BBTI-Prep image taking procedure for determining a BBTI for a Time-SLIP image taking procedure.