Patent Application
20110245731
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical apparatus system that acquires information on a subject, a capsule medical apparatus system, and a method of displaying a posture item of a subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, systems have been proposed in which in-vivo images are taken using a capsule endoscope, data of the taken in-vivo images is received by a receiving device, and the data of the in-vivo images received by the receiving device is displayed on an image display device (see International Publication Pamphlet No. WO 07/077922). In the capsule endoscope system, a doctor observes the in-vivo images that are displayed on the image display device and performs an in-vivo diagnosis on the subject.
A medical apparatus system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a medical apparatus that acquires information on a subject; a posture item display unit that displays multiple posture items of the subject in which the medical apparatus acquires the information on the subject; an input unit that inputs a posture item of the subject in which the information on the subject is acquired among the posture items that are displayed by the posture item display unit; and a display controller that, in response to the input of the input unit, changes a display mode of the posture item of the subject that is displayed by the posture item display unit, such that the display mode indicates that the posture item is input by the input unit.
A capsule medical apparatus system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a capsule medical apparatus to be inserted into a subject to take an in-vivo image of the subject; an input unit that inputs information on a posture of the subject in which the in-vivo image is taken; a storage unit that stores the in-vivo image, which is taken by the capsule medical apparatus, in association with the information on the posture of the subject, which is input by the input unit; and an image display unit that displays the in-vivo image, which is stored in the storage unit, and the information on the posture of the subject, which is associated with the in-vivo image.
A method of displaying a posture item of a subject according to an aspect of the present invention includes displaying, on a posture item display unit, multiple posture items of a subject when a medical apparatus acquires information on the subject; and changing, in response to an input of a posture item in which the information on the subject is acquired among the displayed posture items, which is an input made by an input unit, a display mode of the posture item of the subject that is displayed on the posture item display unit, such that the display mode indicates that the posture item is input by the input unit.
The above and other features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
An entire configuration of a capsule endoscope system as an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
First, an entire configuration of the capsule endoscope system of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The capsule endoscope 4 has an image capturing function of capturing an in-vivo image of a subject and a radio communication function for transmitting by radio various types of information, such as data of in-vivo images. The capsule endoscope 4 is formed to have a size such that it can be easily inserted into the subject 3, and the capsule endoscope 4 has a specific gravity approximately equal to or less than the specific gravity of the liquid, such as water or a normal saline solution. The capsule endoscope 4 sequentially takes in-vivo images at predetermined intervals of, for example, 0.5 second. The capsule endoscope 4 transmits the in-vivo images by radio. In the present embodiment, the capsule endoscope 4 includes imaging devices respectively at the ends of the capsule endoscope 4 in the longitudinal axis direction.
The magnetic field generation device 5 controls at least any one of the position and the posture of the capsule endoscope 4 in the subject 3. Specifically, the magnetic field generation device 5 generates a magnetic field to the capsule endoscope 4, which is inserted into the subject 3, and controls the movement of the capsule endoscope 4 in the liquid by using the magnetic force of the magnetic field. By controlling the movement of the capsule endoscope 4, the magnetic field generation device 5 controls at least any one of the position and the posture of the capsule endoscope 4 in the subject 3. In this case, the capsule endoscope 4 includes a magnet that causes a casing to move according to the magnetic field that is generated by the magnetic field generation device 5.
Operations of the magnetic field generation device are controlled by a signal generator 11 that operates according to control signals from the control device 8. Health care professionals control the movement of the capsule endoscope 4 on the basis of in-vivo images that are taken by one of the two imaging devices arranged in the capsule endoscope 4.
The antenna 6 is realized by using a loop antenna and is arranged on a predetermined position on the body surface of the subject 3. The number of antennas 6 to be arranged is not limited to one and multiple antennas may be arranged. The receiving device 7 receives the data of the in-vivo images, which is transmitted from the capsule endoscope 4 via the antenna 6, and outputs the received data of the in-vivo images to the control device 8. The control device 8 is realized by using a work station. The control device 8 includes a controller 8a and a storage unit 8b.
The controller 8a has a storage function of storing, for example, the data of the in-vivo images received by the receiving device 7, in the storage unit 8b; a display function of displaying, for example, the data of the in-vivo images received by the receiving device 7, on a capsule image display device 10a or a diagnostic display device 10b; a drive control function of outputting, to the signal generator 11, a control signal for controlling driving of the capsule endoscope 4; and an estimation function of estimating the position and the posture of the capsule endoscope 4 on the basis of the generated magnetic field that is estimated from the value of a signal output from the signal generator 11 and from the shape of the magnetic field generator 5.
The storage unit 8b stores the data of the in-vivo images, which are received by the receiving device 7, in association with information on the posture of the subject 3 during the image capturing operation and information on the position and the posture of the capsule endoscope 4 during the image capturing operation. The storage unit 8b also stores, with respect to each in-vivo region of the subject 3, information on posture items of the subject 3 in which observation should be performed and order information that defines the order of the posture items in which observations are performed.
An input device 9, such as a keyboard, a mouse pointer, and a joystick, is connected to the control device 8. By operating the input device 9, the health care professional inputs, to the control device 8, various types of operation input information for, for example, giving an instruction for moving the capsule endoscope 4 and acquiring captured images. The control device 8 functions as a display controller and an operation state confirmation unit according to the present invention. The storage unit 8b functions as a storage unit according to the present invention. The input device 9 functions as an input unit according to the present invention. The capsule image display device 10a functions as a posture item display unit according to the present invention. The diagnostic display device 10b functions as an image display unit according to the present invention.
In the capsule endoscope system that has the above configuration, the control device 8 performs the following diagnostic process, which reduces the work of the health care professional required for diagnosis. A flow of the diagnostic process performed by the control device 8 will be described with reference to the flowchart of
In the process at step S1, the control device 10 displays recommended posture items of the subject 3. When the process is after the posture of the subject 3 is changed, the control device 10 notifies a posture item that is not stored as “Examined” among the posture items that are displayed in the previous process. Specifically, the control device 8 notifies a posture item that is not stored as “Examined” by, on the basis of posture information that defines the order of posture items in which observations should be performed, changing the display color of the posture item in which observation should be performed next among the posture items in
In the process at step S2, the control device 8 operates the input device 9 to cause it to input the information on the posture of the subject 3 in which in-vivo images are to be observed. Specifically, the control device 8 displays, for example, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the image display example in
When a posture item is selected, the control device 8 displays “Under examination” for the selected posture item. When a posture item is selected next, the control device 8 displays “Examined” for the already selected posture item and displays “Under examination” for the newly selected posture item.
In the process at step S3, in response to an operation of the input device 9, the control device 8 operates to guide the capsule endoscope 4 and to take in-vivo images and sequentially stores the taken in-vivo images in the storage unit 8b. Here, the control device 8 stores, in the storage unit 8b, the taken in-vivo images in association with information on the posture of the subject 3 during the image capturing operation and information on the position and the posture of the capsule endoscope 4 during the image capturing operation. Accordingly, the process at step S3 is completed and the diagnostic process goes to the process at step S4.
In the process at step S4, in response to an operation of the input device 9, the control device 8 captures the in-vivo images and stores the captured in-vivo images in the storage unit 8b as captured images. Here, the control device 8 stores, in the storage unit 8b, the captured images in association with the information on the posture of the subject 3 in which the captured images are taken and information on the position and the posture of the capsule endoscope 4 in which the captured images are taken. In the present embodiment, a posture item of the subject 3 in which observation is performed is input in the process at step S2. Alternatively, a posture item of the subject 3 may be input when an instruction for acquiring a captured image is given. Note that, in this case, only the information on the posture of the subject 3 in which the captured images are acquired is stored. Accordingly, the process at step S4 is completed and the diagnostic process goes to the process at step S5.
In the process at step S5, according to an operation of the input device 9, the control device 8 determines whether acquisition and observation of necessary in-vivo images are completed. When the result of the determination indicates that acquisition and observation of necessary in-vivo images are not completed, the control device 8 returns the diagnostic process to the process at step S3. In contrast, when acquisition and observation of necessary in-vivo images are completed, the control device 8 promotes the diagnostic process to the process at step S6. When the observation time in the same posture lasts for a predetermined time or more, the control device 8 may inform the information on the posture of the subject 3.
In the process at step S6, the control device 8 stores, as “Examined”, the posture item of the subject 3 in which acquisition and observation of necessary in-vivo images are completed. Specifically, in the case where, for example, as illustrated in
In the process at step S7, according to an operation of the input device 9, the control device 8 determines whether the posture of the subject 3 is changed. A detection means, such as a weight sensor, may be arranged under the bed 2 to detect whether the posture of the subject 3 is changed. When the result of the determination indicates that the posture of the subject 3 is changed, the control device 8 returns the diagnostic process to the process at step S1. When the posture of the subject 3 is not changed, the control device 8 promotes the diagnostic process to the process at step S8. It is desirable that, when the posture of the subject 3 is changed, the control device 8 displays a display for confirming whether the information on the posture item, which is input in the process at step S2, is automatically reset or the posture item is reset. Such a process helps inputting a posture item again when the posture is changed and accordingly in-vivo images are taken according to an appropriate posture item.
In the process at step S8, the control device 8 determines whether all the posture items that are displayed in the process at step S1 are stored as “Examined”. When the result of the determination indicates that all the posture items that are displayed in the process at step S1 are stored as “Examined”, the control device 8 ends the diagnostic process. In contrast, when all the posture items that are displayed in the process at step S1 are not stored as “Examined”, the control device 8 promotes the diagnostic process to the process at step S9.
In the process at step S9, the control device 8 notifies that there remains a posture item that is not stored as “Examined”. Specifically, the control device 8 notifies that there remains a posture item that is not stored as “Examined” by changing the display color of the posture item that is not stored as “Examined” or informing that there is a recommended posture item by saying, for example, “An recommended posture item remains” using a pop-up display or an audio output. Accordingly, the process at step S9 is completed and the diagnostic process goes to step S10.
In the process at step S10, according to an operation of the input device 9, the control device 8 determines whether an instruction for ending the diagnostic process is given. When the result of determination indicates that an instruction for ending the diagnostic process is not given, the control device 8 returns the diagnostic process to the process at step S7. In contrast, when an instruction for ending the diagnostic process is given, the control device 8 ends the diagnostic process. If an instruction for ending the diagnostic process is given when acquisition and observation of in-vivo images are not completed in all the posture items that are displayed in the process at step S1, the control device 8 may give information that examinations in all the posture items are not completed.
Next, a configuration of the capsule-image display screen that is displayed on the capsule image display device 10a in the above-described diagnostic process will be described with reference to
On the capsule-image display screen in
Lastly, with reference to
The play button B1 is a manipulator for sequentially displaying in-vivo images that are taken in the diagnostic process. The play button B1 is provided with an orderly play button, a reverse play button, and a stop button. The red bar B2 indicates a ratio of red in an in-vivo image that is taken by the capsule endoscope 4. On the basis of the ratio of red, it can be determined whether a bleeding occurs in an observed region. The average color bar B3 indicates the average color of the in-vivo image taken by the capsule endoscope 4. On the basis of the display color of the average color bar B3, it can be determined whether the observed region or the imaging device is changed. Specifically, in the example of
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-264276 | Nov 2009 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation of PCT international application Ser. No. PCT/JP2010/62553 filed on Jul. 26, 2010 which designates the United States, incorporated herein by reference, and which claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Applications No. 2009-264276, filed on Nov. 19, 2009, incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2010/062553 | Jul 2010 | US |
| Child | 13072149 | US |
