JP7619781B2 - Diagnostic Imaging Devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an X-ray CT (Computed Tomography) device, and in particular to technology for improving the safety of an X-ray CT device.

An X-ray CT scanner is a device that irradiates X-rays from around the subject to obtain projection data at multiple projection angles, and then reconstructs a tomographic image of the subject by back-projecting the projection data. The reconstructed tomographic images are used as medical images for diagnostic imaging of the subject. From the time the subject enters the imaging room in which the X-ray CT scanner is installed until he or she leaves the room, conversations between the subject in the imaging room and the operator in the control room are conducted through talk sets with microphones and speakers installed in both the imaging room and the control room.

Patent Document 1 discloses an X-ray CT device that reduces noise by subtracting noise components selected according to the rotation state of the scanner from the voice picked up by the intercom so that the voice emitted by the subject in the imaging room can be clearly heard by the operator in the control room.

JP 2000-70256 A

However, in Patent Document 1, the operator judges the condition of the subject and the X-ray CT device based on the voice uttered by the subject, and no consideration is given to the possibility of the operator missing something. For example, if the operator misses a voice informing the subject of an emergency or misses an abnormal behavior of the subject in the imaging room, the response may be delayed.

The object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray CT device that can improve the safety of subjects from the time they enter the imaging room until they leave.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an X-ray CT device equipped with a scanner that acquires projection data of a subject in order to generate a tomographic image of the subject, the device comprising a handset and a motion sensor provided in an imaging room in which the scanner is placed, a voice analysis unit that analyzes voice data collected by the handset, a motion analysis unit that analyzes the motion data of the subject acquired by the motion sensor, and a guidance and control unit that displays a screen that guides the operator's actions and controls the operation of the scanner based on the results of the analysis of the voice data or the motion data.

The present invention provides an X-ray CT device that can improve the safety of subjects from the time they enter the imaging room until they leave.

Overall configuration of X-ray CT device Functional block diagram of the first embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow for behavior guidance and motion control. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a screen configuration according to the first embodiment; A diagram for explaining an example of an analysis ON/OFF button A diagram for explaining an example of a history window FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a behavior guidance window.

Below, an embodiment of the X-ray CT device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in the following description and in the attached drawings, components having the same functional configuration will be given the same reference numerals to avoid duplicated explanations.

The overall configuration of the X-ray CT device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, the horizontal direction is the X-axis, the vertical direction is the Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the paper surface is the Z-axis. The X-ray CT device 100 includes a scanner 200 and an operation unit 250. The scanner 200 includes an X-ray tube 211, a detector 212, a collimator 213, a drive unit 214, a central control unit 215, an X-ray control unit 216, a high-voltage generating unit 217, a scanner control unit 218, a bed control unit 219, a collimator control unit 221, a preamplifier 222, an A/D converter 223, a rotating plate 230, a bed 240, and the like. In addition, the imaging room where the scanner 200 is placed includes an imaging room side intercom 1002 and a motion sensor 1003. The imaging room side intercom 1002 and the motion sensor 1003 may be attached to the scanner 200.

The X-ray tube 211 is a device that irradiates X-rays to the subject 210 placed on the bed 240. A high voltage generated by a high voltage generating unit 217 in accordance with a control signal transmitted from an X-ray control unit 216 is applied to the X-ray tube 211, causing the X-ray tube 211 to irradiate X-rays to the subject.

The collimator 213 is a device that limits the irradiation range of the X-rays emitted from the X-ray tube 211. The irradiation range of the X-rays is set according to a control signal transmitted from the collimator control unit 221.

The detector 212 is a device that measures the spatial distribution of transmitted X-rays by detecting X-rays that have passed through the subject 210. The detector 212 is disposed opposite the X-ray tube 211, and a large number of detection elements are arranged two-dimensionally on the plane facing the X-ray tube 211. The signal measured by the detector 212 is amplified by the preamplifier 222 and then converted into a digital signal by the A/D converter 223. Various correction processes are then performed on the digital signal, and projection data is obtained.

The driving unit 214 rotates the rotating plate 230 carrying the X-ray tube 211 and the detector 212 according to a control signal transmitted from the scanner control unit 218, thereby rotating the X-ray tube 211 and the detector 212 around the subject 210. As the X-ray tube 211 and the detector 212 rotate, X-rays are irradiated and detected, and projection data from multiple projection angles is acquired. The data collection unit for each projection angle is called a view. The arrangement of each detection element of the detector 212, which is arranged two-dimensionally, is called a channel in the direction of rotation of the detector 212 and a row in the direction perpendicular to the channel. The projection data is identified by the view, channel, and row. Note that projection data may also be acquired with the rotating plate 230 tilted relative to a plane perpendicular to the body axis of the subject 210.

The bed control unit 219 controls the operation of the bed 240, either keeping the bed 240 stationary or moving it at a constant speed in the Z-axis direction. A scan in which X-rays are irradiated and detected while the bed 240 is stationary is called an axial scan, and a scan in which the bed 240 is moved is called a helical scan.

The radiography room intercom 1002 has a microphone that collects the voice of the subject 210 and is connected to the operation room intercom 1001 described below. The collected voice is output from a speaker on the operation room intercom 1001 and transmitted to the operator in the operation room. The radiography room intercom 1002 is also connected to the central control unit 215.

The motion sensor 1003 is a camera or a laser displacement meter, which acquires motion data representing the motion of the subject 210, and outputs the motion data to the central control unit 215. The motion data of the subject 210 is, for example, data on the head, trunk, and limbs of the subject 210, and includes the amplitude and speed of each part.

The central control unit 215 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the above-described operation of the scanner 200 in accordance with instructions from the operation unit 250. The central control unit 215 may be provided in the operation unit 250.

Next, the operation unit 250 will be described. The operation unit 250 has a reconstruction processing unit 251, an image processing unit 252, a memory unit 254, a display unit 256, an input unit 258, etc. In addition, an operation room side intercom 1001 is provided in the operation room where the operation unit 250 is arranged. The operation room side intercom 1001 may be attached to the operation unit 250.

The reconstruction processing unit 251 is, for example, a CPU or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and reconstructs a tomographic image by backprojecting the projection data acquired by the scanner 200. The image processing unit 252 is, for example, a CPU or a GPU, and performs various image processing to make the tomographic image suitable for diagnosis. The storage unit 254 is, for example, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores the projection data, the tomographic image, and the image after image processing. The display unit 256 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or a touch panel, and displays the tomographic image and the image after image processing. The input unit 258 is, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, or a touch panel, and is used when the operator sets the acquisition conditions of the projection data (tube voltage, tube current, scan speed, etc.) and the reconstruction conditions of the tomographic image (reconstruction filter, FOV size, etc.).

The control room intercom 1001 has a microphone that collects the voices of the operator in the control room, and is connected to the imaging room intercom 1002 as described above. The collected voices are output from a speaker in the imaging room intercom 1002 and transmitted to the subject 210 in the imaging room. The control room intercom 1001 is also connected to the central control unit 215.

The functional block diagram of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. Each functional block may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be configured with software that runs on a CPU such as the central control unit 215. In the following description, a case will be described in which each functional block of the first embodiment is configured with software. The functional blocks of the first embodiment include a voice analysis unit 1004, a moving object analysis unit 1005, and a guidance and control unit 1006. Each functional block will be described below.

The voice analysis unit 1004 analyzes the voice data collected by the operation room side intercom 1001 or the shooting room side intercom 1002. The analysis of the voice data includes calculation of the volume and speed, extraction of character strings contained in the voice data, identification of the speaker, etc. Note that to extract character strings from the voice data, a dictionary corresponding to a language selected in advance from among multiple language dictionaries is used. For example, if Japanese is selected, a character string that matches the collected voice data is extracted from the Japanese dictionary. The language dictionary includes not only a Japanese dictionary, but also an English dictionary, a Chinese dictionary, etc. The analyzed data is sent to the guidance and control unit 1006.

The motion analysis unit 1005 analyzes the motion data acquired by the motion sensor 1003. That is, the distance, position, and speed of the movement of the subject's 210 head, trunk, limbs, etc. are calculated by the analysis of the motion analysis unit 1005. The analyzed data is sent to the guidance and control unit 1006.

Based on data sent from the voice analysis unit 1004 or the motion analysis unit 1005, the guidance/control unit 1006 displays on the display unit 256 a screen including an action guidance window, which is a window that guides the operator's actions, and controls the operation of the scanner 200. Whether or not to display the action guidance window or control the operation of the scanner 200 is determined based on whether or not the results of analysis of the voice data or motion data satisfy predetermined conditions. In other words, when emergency voice or motion is detected, the action guidance window is displayed and the operation of the scanner 200 is stopped.

An example of the process flow executed in Example 1 after the start of preparation for shooting will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

(S301)
The guidance/control unit 1006 determines whether or not an emergency voice or movement has been detected based on the data output from the voice analysis unit 1004 or the motion analysis unit 1005. If an emergency voice or movement has been detected, the process proceeds to S302, and if not, the process proceeds to S303. Whether or not an emergency voice or movement has been detected is determined based on whether or not the results of analysis of the voice data or motion data satisfy a predetermined condition.

First, a determination based on analysis of voice data will be described. For example, if the volume calculated by analyzing the voice data is greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that an emergency voice has been detected. The threshold value for volume is set to a value obtained by multiplying the volume of the voice data of the subject 210 acquired in a conversation before preparation for imaging by a coefficient greater than 1, for example 5. In other words, when the subject speaks louder than in a normal conversation, it is determined that an emergency exists. Note that if it is not possible to acquire voice data of the subject 210 in a conversation before preparation for imaging, a value preset for each facility may be used as the threshold.

If the speed calculated by analyzing the voice data is greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that an emergency voice has been detected. The speed of the voice data is calculated, for example, by dividing the number of characters extracted from the voice data by the time the voice data was uttered. The speed threshold is set to a value obtained by multiplying the speed of the voice data of the subject 210 acquired in the conversation before preparation for imaging by a coefficient greater than 1, for example 2. In other words, when words are uttered faster than in a normal conversation, it is determined that an emergency exists. Note that if voice data of the subject 210 cannot be acquired in the conversation before preparation for imaging, a value preset for each facility may be used as the threshold.

Furthermore, if a specific keyword, such as "ouch" or "stop," is included in the character string extracted from the voice data, it is determined that an emergency voice has been detected. The keywords used for the determination are set in advance for each facility. In other words, when a word indicating danger to the subject 210 is uttered, it is determined that an emergency case exists. Furthermore, if the same character string is repeatedly included in the voice data, it may also be determined that an emergency voice has been detected because the same word is repeated.

In addition, it is preferable that the keywords to be compared with the character strings extracted from the voice data are set for each speaker. In particular, if the speaker is a doctor or radiologist, setting the imperative form of a verb as the keyword makes it easier to determine whether the voice requires an emergency.

Next, a determination based on the analysis of the moving body data will be described. For example, if the distance calculated by the analysis of the moving body data is greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that an emergency movement has been detected. The threshold related to the distance of the moving body data is set based on, for example, the size of the bed 240. In other words, when the subject 210 moves to such an extent that it protrudes from the bed 240, it is determined that an emergency situation exists. The threshold related to the distance is set according to the part of the subject 210.

If the position calculated by analyzing the moving body data enters a predetermined area, it is determined that an emergency movement has been detected. The predetermined area is, for example, an area in which the cover covering the rotating plate 230 may move due to the tilt of the rotating plate 230. In other words, when the subject 210 moves to a position where it may collide with the cover covering the rotating plate 230, it is determined that an emergency situation exists. The predetermined area is set according to the part of the subject 210.

If the speed calculated by analyzing the moving body data is greater than a threshold, it is determined that an emergency movement has been detected. The threshold for the speed of the moving body data is set based on, for example, the speed at which the limbs are shaken. In other words, when the subject 210 shakes his limbs and makes violent movements, it is determined that an emergency situation exists. The threshold for the speed is set depending on the part of the subject 210.

(S302)
The guidance/control unit 1006 causes the display unit 256 to display a screen including a behavior guidance window that is a window for guiding the operator's behavior, and controls the operation of the scanner 200 .

An example of the processing flow of S302 is explained using Figure 4.

(S401)
The guidance and control unit 1006 determines whether the scanner 200 is in operation. More specifically, it determines whether the bed 240 is moving, the rotating plate 230 is rotating, the rotating plate 230 is in the middle of tilting, or the X-ray tube 211 is emitting X-rays. If the scanner 200 is in operation, the process proceeds to S402, and if the scanner 200 is not in operation, the process proceeds to S404.

(S402)
The guidance/control unit 1006 determines whether the degree of urgency is high or not based on the data output from the voice analysis unit 1004 or the motion analysis unit 1005. If the degree of urgency is high, the process proceeds to S403, and if not, the process proceeds to S404.

The urgency is a value that indicates the degree of urgency, and is calculated based on the results of analyzing the voice data and the motion data. More specifically, the urgency is calculated based on the volume and speed calculated by analyzing the voice data, the character string extracted from the voice data, and the distance, position, and speed calculated by analyzing the motion data. That is, similar to the determination in S301, whether the urgency is high or not is determined depending on whether the results of analyzing the voice data and the motion data satisfy a predetermined condition. The difference from S301 is that the threshold and other conditions are set higher. The threshold and other conditions are set for each facility. In particular, if the speaker identified from the voice data is a doctor, and the voice data contains a keyword set for the doctor, the urgency is determined to be high.

(S403)
The guidance and control unit 1006 stops the operation of the scanner 200. More specifically, if the bed 240 is moving, the movement of the bed 240 is stopped, if the rotating plate 230 is rotating, the rotation of the rotating plate 230 is stopped, if the rotating plate 230 is in the middle of tilting, the tilting of the rotating plate 230 is stopped, and if the X-ray tube 211 is emitting X-rays, the emission of X-rays is stopped.

S403 is executed when it is determined in S402 that the urgency is high, so the operation of the scanner 200 is stopped when it is determined that the degree of urgency is high. This type of control can prevent problems related to the subject 210. For example, when the subject 210 screams because he or she is about to get his or her limbs caught in the moving bed 240, the movement of the bed 240 can be immediately stopped to prevent the subject 210 from being injured. In addition, when the subject 210 moves significantly from the imaging position during X-ray irradiation, the X-ray irradiation can be immediately stopped to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure of the subject 210. Furthermore, when a doctor present in the imaging room during a contrast examination notices some abnormality, for example, a leak of contrast agent, and issues a set keyword to the doctor, "stop," the X-ray irradiation or its preparation can be stopped to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure of the subject 210.

(S404)
The guidance/control unit 1006 causes the display unit 256 to display a screen including an action guidance window that is a window for guiding the operator's action.

An example of the screen displayed in S404 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The screen illustrated in FIG. 5 includes an analysis ON/OFF button 501, a history window 502, and a behavior guidance window 503. Each part will be described below.

An example of the analysis ON/OFF button 501 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The analysis ON/OFF button 501 is a button for switching ON and OFF the analysis by the sound analysis unit 1004 and the motion analysis unit 1005, and is switched ON and OFF by clicking with a mouse pointer or the like. The state of the analysis may be displayed by the color or blinking of the analysis ON/OFF button 501. For example, when analysis is ON, the analysis ON/OFF button 501 is colored, and when analysis is OFF, it is colorless. When analysis is ON and an emergency sound or motion is detected, the analysis ON/OFF button 501 may be blinking and the action guidance window 503 may be popped up.

An example of the history window 502 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The history window 502 displays the voice data and motion data detected by the guidance and control unit 1006 in real time, as well as the history of the data. For example, the history window 502 illustrated in FIG. 7 displays that the operator spoke to start the examination at 16:00, that the movement of the subject 210 was detected at 16:11, and that the doctor interrupted the examination in response to the subject 210's speech at 16:13. From this history window 502, the operator can check whether there were any abnormalities in the subject's 210's behavior.

An example of the action guidance window 503 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. The action guidance window 503 is a window that guides the operator's actions, and is popped up when an emergency sound or movement is detected or when a relevant item in the history window 502, for example "Subject movement detected" at 16:11, is selected. The action guidance window 503 may be color-coded or marked with a special symbol according to the level of urgency determined in S402.

The action guidance window 503A illustrated in FIG. 8 is a window that is displayed when it is detected that the subject 210 has said "it hurts" while the bed 240 is moving, and asks the operator whether or not to stop the movement of the bed 240. When the action guidance window 503A is displayed, if "Yes" is selected, the bed 240 stops moving, and if "No" is selected, the bed 240 continues moving. If neither "Yes" nor "No" is selected and a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds, has elapsed, the action guidance window 503A disappears from the screen, and the bed 240 continues moving. The time until the action guidance window 503A disappears from the screen may be set according to the degree of urgency. That is, the higher the degree of urgency, the longer the time is set.

The action guidance window 503B illustrated in FIG. 8 is displayed when movement of the subject 210 is detected during X-ray irradiation, and is a window that guides the operator to check the status of the subject 210 and the scanner 200. When the "X" in the upper right corner of the action guidance window 503B is clicked, or when a predetermined time has passed, the action guidance window 503B disappears from the screen.

Return to the explanation of Figure 3.

(S303)
The guidance/control unit 1006 determines whether or not the image capture is to be continued. If the image capture is to be continued, the process returns to S302, and if the image capture is not to be continued, the process flow ends. Whether or not the image capture is to be continued is determined, for example, according to whether or not the image capture range set in advance has been captured, or whether or not a selection has been made in the behavior guidance window 503 to stop the operation of the scanner 200. In other words, if the image capture of the set image capture range has been completed, or if a selection has been made in the behavior guidance window 503 to stop the operation, the process flow ends.

The process flow described above allows the behavior guidance window 503 to be displayed and the operation of the scanner 200 to be controlled based on the voice data and moving object data, improving safety from the time the subject enters the imaging room until he or she leaves. Also, by checking the history window 502, it is possible to reduce the chance of missing the voice made by the subject 210 or overlooking abnormal behavior, thereby preventing delays in responding to abnormal situations.

The X-ray CT device of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the components can be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. In addition, multiple components disclosed in the above embodiment may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the above embodiment.

100: X-ray CT device, 200: scanner, 210: subject, 211: X-ray tube, 212: detector, 213: collimator, 214: drive unit, 215: central control unit, 216: X-ray control unit, 217: high voltage generation unit, 218: scanner control unit, 219: bed control unit, 221: collimator control unit, 222: preamplifier, 223: A/D converter, 230: rotating plate, 240: bed, 2 50: Operation unit, 251: Reconstruction processing unit, 252: Image processing unit, 254: Storage unit, 256: Display unit, 258: Input unit, 501: Analysis ON/OFF button, 502: History window, 503: Action guidance window, 1001: Operation room side intercom, 1002: Photography room side intercom, 1003: Motion sensor, 1004: Audio analysis unit, 1005: Motion analysis unit, 1006: Guidance/control unit

Claims (7)

1. An image diagnostic apparatus comprising a scanner for acquiring projection data of a subject in order to generate a medical image of the subject,
A talk device and a motion sensor provided in an imaging room in which the scanner is arranged;
a voice analysis unit that analyzes voice data collected by the telephone;
a motion analysis unit that analyzes motion data of the subject acquired by the motion sensor;
a guidance/control unit that displays an action guidance window, which is a screen for guiding an operator's action, and controls the operation of the scanner, based on a result of analyzing the voice data or the moving object data ;
The guidance/control unit displays, together with the behavior guidance window, a history window which is a screen showing the history of the voice data or the moving object data, and if an item indicating abnormal behavior or speech of the subject is found in the history window, displays the behavior guidance window as a pop-up, characterized by the imaging diagnostic device. 2. The imaging diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The imaging diagnostic device is characterized in that the guidance/control unit stops the operation of the scanner when the urgency calculated based on the results of analysis of the voice data or the moving object data is high. 3. The imaging diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2,
An imaging diagnostic apparatus, characterized in that the urgency is determined to be high when the volume or speed calculated by analysis of the voice data is greater than a predetermined threshold. 4. The imaging diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3,
The image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the speed is calculated by dividing the number of characters contained in the voice data by the time during which the voice data was uttered. 3. The imaging diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2,
An image diagnostic apparatus characterized in that the urgency is determined to be high when a character string extracted from the voice data contains a specific keyword and the voice data is spoken by a doctor. 3. The imaging diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2,
An image diagnostic apparatus, characterized in that, when a distance or a speed calculated by analyzing the moving object data is greater than a predetermined threshold, the urgency is determined to be high. 3. The imaging diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2,
The imaging diagnostic apparatus is characterized in that, when a position calculated by analyzing the moving body data enters a predetermined area, the urgency is determined to be high.

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