Medical image diagnostic apparatus and medical image processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10524768-B2
Application number	US-201514602717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2015
Priority date	Jan 22, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a medical image diagnostic apparatus comprises a position acquisition unit, a data acquisition unit, an alignment unit, a decision unit, and a data generation unit. The position acquisition unit acquires the position of a medical tool in an imaging region with respect to the imaging region at the time of obtaining the medical image. The data acquisition unit acquires volume data corresponding to a three-dimensional region including the imaging region. The alignment unit decides the position of the volume data. The decision unit decides the position of the medical tool with respect to the volume data based on the position of the medical tool and the position of the volume data. The data generation unit generates support volume data by adding support information indicating the position of the medical tool to the volume data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
an ultrasonic probe that scans an object; and
processing circuitry:
that obtains a first medical image by scanning a first imaging region in the object with the ultrasonic probe at a first date, the first imaging region including a tip of a first needle;
that acquires a position of the tip of the first needle in real time;
that acquires volume data corresponding to a three-dimensional region including the first imaging region;
that decides a first positional relationship between the volume data and the first imaging region;
that decides a position of the tip of the first needle with respect to the volume data based on the position of the tip of the first needle and the first positional relationship;
that generates support volume data by adding first support information to the volume data according to a first event including a first instruction to the processing circuitry, the first support information including the first date and the position of the tip of the first needle with respect to the volume data;
that obtains a second medical image by scanning a second imaging region in the object with the ultrasonic probe at a second date, the second imaging region including a tip of a second needle;
that acquires a position of the tip of the second needle in real time;
that decides a second positional relationship between the support volume data and the second imaging region;
that decides a position of the tip of the second needle with respect to the support volume data based on the position of the tip of the second needle and the second positional relationship,
that updates the support volume data by adding second support information with maintaining the first support information, according to a second event including a second instruction to the processing circuitry, the second support information including the second date and the position of the tip of the second needle with respect to the support volume data; and
that controls to simultaneously display an image of the object, a first marker, a second marker, the first date, and the second date based on the updated support volume data, wherein the first marker and the second marker are displayed in the image and respectively represent positions of tips of the first needle and the second needle, and the first date and the second date are respectively displayed near the first marker and the second marker, wherein

the first support information and the second support information are added to volume data corresponding to a CT image used for monitoring in the paracentesis, while the position of the tip of the first needle and the position of the tip of the second needle are added to an ultrasonic image used for monitoring in the paracentesis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a storage that stores the support volume data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry detects occurrence of predetermined events concerning operations of the first needle and the second needle,
wherein the processing circuitry calculates each position of the first needle and the second needle corresponding to points of occurrence of the events with respect to the volume data in response to the occurrence of the predetermined events, and generates the first support information including the calculated position of the first needle, and generates the second support information including the calculated position of the second needle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry generates a second medical image by adding a position of the needle in the imaging region to the medical image corresponding to a time of occurrence of the predetermined event, and stores the second medical image ultrasonic image in association with the support volume data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first support information and second support information includes at least one of an operator who operates the first needle and the second needle, a thickness of the first needle and the second needle, a time when the predetermined event has occurred, a result of examination using the first needle and the second needle, and a finding from a doctor, respectively.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry uses, as the predetermined events, at least one of a store instruction for support volume data input at a desired timing, a freeze display instruction for a medical image, a cauterization start operation, a tissue collection start operation, a moving velocity of the first needle and the second needle, a change in moving direction of the first needle and the second needle, an elapse of a predetermined time from a time point at which an operator pressed a switch, and detection of standstill of the first needle and the second needle in a tissue over a predetermined time.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first support information further includes at least one of a direction of the first needle and a moving velocity of the first needle, and the second support information further includes at least one of a direction of the second needle and a moving velocity of the second needle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry:
executes alignment with the imaging region by using past support volume data to which the first support information is added the volume data obtained in advance;
generates a support image corresponding to the second imaging region by using the past support volume data after the alignment;
displays, on a monitor, the first support information which is added to the past support volume data, the support image, and a medical image corresponding to the second imaging region.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry:
executes alignment between first volume data to which the first support information is added and second volume data, and
generates new support volume data by adding the first support information added to the first volume data to the second volume data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry:
calculates at least one of a moving velocity and a moving direction of each of the first needle and the second needle,
generates the first support information including at least one of the calculated moving velocity and moving direction, and
generates the second support information including at least one of the calculated moving velocity and moving direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry:
corrects a position of the second needle on the volume data based on a curved state of the first needle, and
generates the second support information based on the position after the correction.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first support information and the second support information are generated each time the one of predetermined events occurs.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry selectively displays the at least one part of the first support information and the second support information.

Assignees

• Toshiba Medical Sys Corp
• Canon Medical Systems Corp

Inventors

• Yoshida Tetsuya
• Okamura Yoko

Classifications

• A61B2090/364

  Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body · CPC title

• A61B8/4245

  involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient · CPC title

• A61B8/483

  involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data · CPC title

• A61B8/0841

  for locating instruments · CPC title

• A61B2560/0475

  Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards · CPC title