Imaging planning apparatus and imaging planning method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11576643-B2
Application number	US-202016799935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2020
Priority date	Feb 27, 2019
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

An imaging planning apparatus according to one embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry obtains a first value of a first index that is related to an X-ray dose and a second value of a second index that is related to an image quality, based on an X-ray imaging condition of a subject set in a predetermined examination. The processing circuitry displays an association chart indicating an association between the first index and the second index on a display unit, displays an acceptable range of the first index and the second index, the acceptable range being based on information related to a diagnostic reference level corresponding to the predetermined examination, in a manner distinguished from a range other than the acceptable range in the association chart, and also displays a mark at a position corresponding to the first value and the second value in the association chart.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging planning apparatus comprising a processing circuitry configured to:
obtain a first value of an X-ray dose, a second value of a spatial resolution, and a third value of a contrast-to-noise ratio, based on an X-ray imaging condition of a subject set in a predetermined examination;
display a graph corresponding to a three-dimensional space with a first dimension representing the X-ray dose, a second dimension representing the spatial resolution, and a third dimension representing the contrast-to-noise ratio on a display;
display an acceptable range of the X-ray dose, the spatial resolution, and the contrast-to-noise ratio in the graph, the acceptable range being based on information related to a diagnostic reference level corresponding to the predetermined examination, in a manner distinguished from a range other than the acceptable range;
display a prediction mark in the graph at a position corresponding to the first value, the second value, and the third value;
determine whether a position of the prediction mark falls within the acceptable range as a determined result; and
display the determined result.

2. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray imaging condition includes at least one of a tube current, a tube voltage, a helical pitch, a scanning range, a scan time, and a slice thickness.

3. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, when it is determined that the position of the prediction mark does not fall within the acceptable range, the processing circuitry is further configured to display a recommendation mark at a recommended position to which it is recommended that the position of the prediction mark is moved.

4. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the recommended position is coordinate information on the graph.

5. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to graphically indicate a specific position in the acceptable range, based on the recommended position.

6. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to adjust the X-ray imaging condition, based on a fourth value of the X-ray dose, a fifth value of the spatial resolution, and a sixth value of the contrast-to-noise ratio corresponding to the recommended position.

7. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 6 , wherein
the imaging planning apparatus is included in a medical information management server, and
the medical information management server receives the X-ray imaging condition from a medical image diagnostic apparatus, and transmits the X-ray imaging condition adjusted by the processing circuitry to the medical image diagnostic apparatus or another medical image diagnostic apparatus.

8. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the medical information management server converts the X-ray imaging condition adjusted by the processing circuitry to an X-ray imaging condition adapted to a type of a receiving medical image diagnostic apparatus, and transmits the converted X-ray imaging condition to the receiving medical image diagnostic apparatus.

9. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to accept an instruction for moving the position of the prediction mark displayed on the display to a position in the acceptable range from an operator, and adjust the X-ray imaging condition based on a seventh value of the X-ray dose, an eighth value of the spatial resolution, and a ninth value of the contrast-to-noise ratio corresponding to the position included in the instruction.

10. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to accept the instruction from the operator via a predetermined input interface.

11. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the acceptable range based on a diagnostic performance model indicating a relationship between the X-ray dose, the spatial resolution, and the contrast-to-noise ratio.

12. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain a plurality of pieces of past historical examination data related to the predetermined examination, and establish a range where the obtained pieces of historical examination data gather at a concentration of a certain level or higher as the acceptable range.

13. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to display guidance information including at least one of a recommendation mark at the recommended position to which it is recommended that the position of the prediction mark is moved, a path mark indicating a path along which the position is moved to the recommendation mark, and a matter of which an operator is advised to be aware in the predetermined examination.

14. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging planning apparatus is included in a medical image diagnostic apparatus or in a medical information management server.

15. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate a prediction model for predicting the first value, the second value, and the third value based on historical data of a scan parameter and patient information, and obtain the first value, the second value, and the third value corresponding to the X-ray imaging condition using the prediction model, as a prediction result.

16. The imaging planning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the imaging planning apparatus is included in a medical image diagnostic apparatus, and
when the medical image diagnostic apparatus receives the X-ray imaging condition from a medical information management server, the medical image diagnostic apparatus converts the received X-ray imaging condition to an X-ray imaging condition adapted to its own type, and
the imaging planning apparatus obtains the first value, the second value, and the third value based on the converted X-ray imaging condition.

17. An imaging planning method comprising:
obtaining, via processing circuitry of an image planning apparatus, a first value of an X-ray dose, a second value of a spatial resolution, and a third value of a contrast-to-noise ratio, based on an X-ray imaging condition of a subject set in a predetermined examination;
displaying, via the processing circuitry of the image planning apparatus, a graph corresponding to a three-dimensional space with a first dimension representing the X-ray dose, a second dimension representing the spatial resolution, and a third dimension representing the contrast-to-noise ratio on a display unit;
displaying, via the processing circuitry of the image planning apparatus, an acceptable range of the X-ray dose, the spatial condition, and contrast-to-noise ratio in the graph, the acceptable range being based on information related to a diagnostic reference level corresponding to the predetermined examination, in a manner distinguished from a range other than the acceptable range;
displaying, via the processing circuitry of the image planning apparatus, a prediction mark in the graph at a position corresponding to the first value, the second value, and the third value;
determining, via the processing circuitry of the image planning apparatus, whether a position of the prediction mark falls within the acceptable range as a determined result; and
displaying, via the processing circuitry of the image planning apparatus, the det

Assignees

• Canon Medical Systems Corp

Inventors

• Lan Bing
• Xu Xieping
• Li Lin
• Wang Yijin
• Yan Qingyu
• Yamashita Naoki

Classifications

• A61B6/463

  characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display · CPC title

• A61B6/5258

  involving detection or reduction of artifacts or noise · CPC title

• A61B6/5294

  involving using additional data, e.g. patient information, image labeling, acquisition parameters · CPC title

• A61B6/542 Primary

  involving control of exposure · CPC title

• A61B6/027

  characterised by the use of a particular data acquisition trajectory, e.g. helical or spiral · CPC title