MEDICAL IMAGE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM, MEDICAL IMAGE CLASSIFICATION METHOD, AND MEDICAL IMAGE CLASSIFICATION APPARATUS

• US 20160217347A1
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: MINEO, Shigeki
• Granted Patent: US 10,026,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/444 Evaluating skin marks, e.g. mole, nevi, tumour, scar
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/764 using classification, e.g. of video objects
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A medical image classification system includes an acceptance apparatus, a medical image acquisition apparatus, and a medical image classification apparatus. The acceptance apparatus includes an acceptor that accepts the input of patient identification information and medium identification information, and a first storage that stores first association information. The medical image acquisition apparatus includes an identification information acquirer, an image acquirer that acquires a medical image for diagnosing a patient, and a second storage that stores second association information. The medical image classification apparatus includes a first acquirer that acquires the first association information stored by the first storage, a second acquirer that acquires the second association information stored by the second storage, and a classifier that performs classification of the medical image identification information per the patient identification information based on the medium identification information in the first association information and the second association information.

Claims

1. A medical image classification system, comprising an acceptance apparatus, a medical image acquisition apparatus, and a medical image classification apparatus,

the acceptance apparatus comprising:

an acceptor that accepts an input of patient identification information for identifying a patient and medium identification information of a portable information retaining medium carried by the patient; and

a first storage that stores first association information in which the patient identification information and the medium identification information accepted by the acceptor are associated with each other;

the medical image acquisition apparatus comprising;

an identification information acquirer that acquires the medium identification information from the portable information retaining medium carried by the patient;

an image acquirer that acquires a medical image for diagnosing the patient; and

a second storage that stores second association information in which medical image identification information for identifying the medical image acquired by the image acquirer and the medium identification information acquired by the identification information acquirer are associated with each other;

the medical image classification apparatus comprising;

a first acquirer that acquires the first association information stored by the first storage;

a second acquirer that acquires the second association information stored by the second storage; and

a classifier that performs classification of the medical image identification information per the patient identification information based on the medium identification information in the first association information and the second association information.

2. The medical image classification system according to claim 1, wherein

the first storage further stores a usage time period in which the patient carrying the portable information retaining medium uses the portable information retaining medium, associated with the patient identification information and the medium identification information, as the first association information;

the second storage further stores a photographing time at which the medical image is photographed, associated with the medical image identification information and the medium identification information, as the second association information;

the classifier comprises;

a first determiner that determines whether or not the medium identification information in the second association information and the medium identification information in the first association information correspond with each other; and

a second determiner that determines whether or not the photographing time in the second association information is within the usage time period in the first association information; and

the classification is performed based on a determination result from the first determiner and the second determiner.

3. The medical image classification system according to claim 2, wherein

the classifier assigns the medical image identification information to the patient identification information and performs the classification when the first determiner determines that the medium identification information in the second association information and the medium identification information in the first association information correspond with each other, and the second determiner determines that the photographing time is within the usage time period.

4. The medical image classification system according to claim 1, wherein

the portable information retaining medium is a portable transmission medium;

and

the identification information acquirer comprises receiver that receives medium identification information transmitted by the portable transmission medium.

5. The medical image classification system according to claim 4, wherein

the medical image acquisition apparatus further comprises selector that selects medium identification information with maximum reception strength when the receiver receives a plurality of items of medium identification information;

and

the second storage stores the second association information in which the medium identification information selected by the selector and the medical image identification information are associated with each other.

6. The medical image classification system according to claim 4, wherein

the first storage further stores position information on a location at which a patient carrying the portable transmission medium intends to see a doctor, associated with the patient identification information and the medium identification information, as the first association information;

and

the medical image classification apparatus comprises;

a position information receiver that receives medium identification information of the portable transmission medium, transmitted from the portable transmission medium carried by the patient, and current position information indicating a current position of the portable transmission medium;

a specifier that specifies the position information on the location at which the patient intends to see the doctor from the first association information acquired by the first acquirer based on the medium identification information received by the position information receiver; and

a notifier that provides a notification that the patient is not at the location at which the patient intends to see the doctor when the position information on the location at which the patient intends to see the doctor, specified by the specifier, and the current position information received by the position information receiver do not correspond with each other.

7. The medical image classification system according to claim 1, wherein

the medical image is a dermoscopy image of a patient, photographed through a dermoscope.

8. The medical image classification system according to claim 1, wherein

the second storage is a non-transitory transportable storage medium.

9. The medical image classification system according to claim 4, wherein

the portable transmission medium is a beacon in accordance with Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy or a contactless IC card in accordance with Near Field Communication (NFC).

10. A medical image classification method, comprising:

an acceptance step of accepting an input of patient identification information for identifying a patient and medium identification information of a portable information retaining medium carried by the patient;

a first storage step of storing first association information in which the patient identification information accepted in the acceptance step and the medium identification information are associated with each other;

an identification information acquisition step of acquiring the medium identification information from the portable information retaining medium carried by the patient;

an image acquisition step of acquiring a medical image for diagnosing the patient;

a second storage step of storing second association information in which medical image identification information for identifying the medical image acquired in the image acquisition step and the medium identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition step are associated with each other;

a first acquisition step of acquiring the first association information stored in the first storage step;

a second acquisition step of acquiring the second association information stored in the second storage step; and

a classification step of performing classification of the medical image identification information per the patient identification information based on the medium identification information in the first association information and the second association information.

11. A medical image classification apparatus, comprising:

a first acquirer that acquires first association information in which patient identification information for identifying a patient and medium identification information of a portable information retaining medium carried by the patient are associated with each other;

a second acquirer that acquires second association information in which medical image identification information for identifying a medical image for diagnosing the patient and medium identification information acquired from the portable information retaining medium are associated with each other; and

a classifier that performs classification of the medical image identification information per the patient identification information based on the medium identification information in the first association information and the second association information.

12. A medical image classification method, comprising:

a first acquisition step of acquiring first association information in which patient identification information for identifying a patient and medium identification information of a portable information retaining medium carried by the patient are associated with each other;

a second acquisition step of acquiring second association information in which medical image identification information for identifying a medical image for diagnosing the patient and medium identification information acquired from the portable information retaining medium are associated with each other; and

a classification step of performing classification of the medical image identification information per the patient identification information based on the medium identification information in the first association information and the second association information.