CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-180385, filed on Sep. 30, 2019. Each of the above application is hereby expressly incorporated by reference, in its entirety, into the present application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to a display control device, a method for operating a display control device, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a program for operating a display control device.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, in the field of medical image diagnosis, in addition to radiography apparatuses using radiation, such as X-rays, imaging apparatuses using various techniques, such as computed tomography (CT) apparatuses, ultrasound (US) diagnostic apparatuses, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatuses, positron emission tomography (PET) apparatuses, and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) apparatuses, have been used. As the radiography apparatus, for example, image diagnosis using an imaging apparatus called mammography for capturing the image of the breast has attracted attention in order to promote early detection of breast cancer.

In the mammography, generally, imaging is performed on one breast in at least two directions to acquire two or more breast images. Specifically, examples of the breast image include an image (cranio-caudal view; hereinafter, referred to as a CC image)) acquired by sandwiching the breast in the vertical direction and performing imaging on the breast in the sandwiching direction and an image (medio-lateral oblique view; hereinafter, referred to as an MLO image) acquired by sandwiching the breast in an oblique direction and performing imaging on the breast in the sandwiching direction.

In the medical field, a computer-aided image diagnosis system (hereinafter, referred to as a CAD) has been known which automatically detects a region of interest, such as a lesion, in an examination image acquired by the imaging apparatus and displays the detected region of interest so as to be highlighted. For example, there is a method which detects a region of interest, such as calcification or tumor, in a breast image acquired by imaging using mammography, using the CAD and displays the detected region of interest with a frame on the breast image. JP4163370B discloses a method that detects and displays only a region of interest detected at the same position in an object as a definite region of interest among the regions of interest (abnormal shadow candidates) detected in each of a CC image and an MLO image to improve the reliability of the region of interest.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the related art, in image diagnosis, comparative image interpretation has been performed which displays a plurality of examination images on a display device, such as a liquid crystal display, and interprets the examination images while comparing the examination images. For example, in a case in which a CC image and an MLO image which are breast images are displayed on a display device for comparative image interpretation, it is difficult to understand the correspondence relationship between positions in the CC image and the MLO image since the CC image and the MLO image are captured in different imaging directions. In the invention described in JP4163370B, the correspondence relationship between a plurality of regions of interest in the CC image and a plurality of regions of interest in the MLO image is displayed. In the display of the correspondence relationship, for example, marks having the same shape are attached to the regions of interest corresponding to the same position among the regions of interest in the CC image and the MLO image.

As such, in JP4163370B, in a case in which there are corresponding regions of interest between a plurality of images, a device automatically displays marks for identifying the corresponding regions of interest regardless of the operation of the user.

However, in some cases, only the configuration in which the marks for identifying the corresponding regions of interest are displayed regardless of the operation of the user as in JP4163370B is insufficient to understand the correspondence relationship at a glance.

First, in a case in which a plurality of regions of interest are displayed in each of a plurality of images, there are a plurality of pairs of corresponding regions of interest and the number of marks is large. Therefore, it is difficult to understand the correspondence relationship at a glance. Further, even in a case in which only one region of interest is displayed in one image and a plurality of regions of interest are displayed in the other image, it may be difficult to understand the correspondence relationship at first glance. For example, in the technique disclosed in JP4163370B, in a case in which only one region of interest is displayed in one image and one region of interest is displayed in the other image, the correspondence relationship is clearly indicated by the display of the mark. However, in a case in which a plurality of regions of interest close to each other are displayed in the other image, it is difficult to understand which region of interest the mark is displayed for at a glance. This holds for a case in which a plurality of regions of interest close to each other are displayed in one image and one region of interest is displayed in the other image.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a display control device, a method for operating a display control device, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a program for operating a display control device that enable a user to understand a correspondence relationship between regions of interest at a glance in a case in which image diagnosis is performed on the basis of images captured in different imaging directions.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a display control device comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires a first image of an object and a second image of the same object as the first image which has been captured in a different imaging direction from the first image; a display control unit that displays the first image and the second image acquired by the image acquisition unit on a display unit; a position receiving unit that receives designation of a position in the first image displayed on the display unit by the display control unit; a first region-of-interest specification unit that specifies a first region of interest in the first image on the basis of the designation of the position received by the position receiving unit; and a second region-of-interest specification unit that specifies a second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest in the second image on the basis of the first region of interest specified by the first region-of-interest specification unit. In a case in which a plurality of the first regions of interest or a plurality of the second regions of interest are present in at least one of the first image or the second image and the position receiving unit receives the designation of the position, the display control unit displays the second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest specified by the designation of the position so as to be highlighted.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, in a case in which a plurality of the first regions of interest are present in the first image, a plurality of the second regions of interest are present in the second image, and the position receiving unit receives the designation of the position, the display control unit may display only the second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest specified by the designation of the position such that the second region of interest is highlighted to be distinguishable from other second regions of interest in the second image.

The display control device according to the present disclosure may further comprise: a region-of-interest detection unit that analyzes the first image and the second image acquired by the image acquisition unit to detect the first region of interest and the second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest. The display control unit may perform control to display all of the regions of interest detected by the region-of-interest detection unit on the display unit and to display only the second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest specified by the designation of the position in a case in which the position receiving unit receives the designation of the position.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, the display control unit may display a plurality of display screens on one or a plurality of the display units.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, the display screen may include a first display screen for displaying an image interpretation report in which content of image diagnosis is recorded and a second display screen for displaying an image. The display control unit may display the first image and the second image on the second display screen.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, the display screen may include a first display screen for displaying an image interpretation report in which content of image diagnosis is recorded and a second display screen for displaying an image. The display control unit may display the first image on the first display screen and display the second image on the second display screen, or may display the second image on the first display screen and display the first image on the second display screen.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, the image acquisition unit may acquire a third image of the object captured in a different imaging direction from the second image. The display control unit may display the first image on the first display screen and display the second image and the third image on the second display screen.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, the first image and the second image may be images captured on the same examination date.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, the first image and the third image may be images captured in the same imaging direction.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, the first image and the second and third images may be images captured on different examination dates.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, the image acquisition unit may acquire a second image group including a plurality of the second images. The second image group may be an image group including a plurality of images captured in the same imaging direction at different imaging times or an image group including a plurality of tomographic images indicating different tomographic planes of the object.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, the second region-of-interest specification unit may specify the second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest from the second image group on the basis of the first region of interest specified by the first region-of-interest specification unit. The display control device may further comprise an image extraction unit that extracts the second image including the second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest which has been specified by the second region-of-interest specification unit. In a case in which the position receiving unit receives the designation of the position in the first image, the display control unit may display the specified second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest so as to be highlighted in the second image extracted by the image extraction unit.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, the display control unit may display a plurality of the second images extracted by the image extraction unit on the second display screen. The display control unit may divide the second display screen into a plurality of regions on the basis of the number of the plurality of second images extracted by the image extraction unit and display the plurality of extracted second images in each of the divided regions.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, in a case in which an upper limit of the number of second images capable of being displayed on the second display screen is set and the number of second images extracted by the image extraction unit is greater than the upper limit, the display control unit may divide the second images into a plurality of pages and display the second images so as to be switched.

In the display control device according to the present disclosure, in a case in which priorities for displaying the plurality of second images extracted by the image extraction unit are set and the number of second images extracted by the image extraction unit is greater than the upper limit, the display control unit may display the second images on the second display screen in descending order of the priority.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a method for operating a display control device. The method comprises: an acquisition step of acquiring a first image of an object and a second image of the same object as the first image which has been captured in a different imaging direction from the first image; a display control step of displaying the acquired first and second images on a display unit; a receiving step of receiving designation of a position in the first image displayed on the display unit; a first region-of-interest specification step of specifying a first region of interest in the first image on the basis of the received designation of the position; and a second region-of-interest specification step of specifying a second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest in the second image on the basis of the specified first region of interest. In a case in which a plurality of the first regions of interest or a plurality of the second regions of interest are present in at least one of the first image or the second image and the designation of the position is received in the receiving step, the second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest specified by the designation of the position is displayed so as to be highlighted in the display control step.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a program for operating an image display device. The program causes a computer to function as the image display device comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires a first image of an object and a second image of the same object as the first image which has been captured in a different imaging direction from the first image; a display control unit that displays the first image and the second image acquired by the image acquisition unit on a display unit; a position receiving unit that receives designation of a position in the first image displayed on the display unit by the display control unit; a first region-of-interest specification unit that specifies a first region of interest in the first image on the basis of the designation of the position received by the position receiving unit; and a second region-of-interest specification unit that specifies a second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest in the second image on the basis of the first region of interest specified by the first region-of-interest specification unit. In a case in which a plurality of the first regions of interest or a plurality of the second regions of interest are present in at least one of the first image or the second image and the designation of the position is received in the receiving step, the display control unit displays the second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest specified by the designation of the position so as to be highlighted.

Another display control device according to the present disclosure comprises: a memory that stores commands to be executed by a computer; and a processor configured to execute the stored commands. The processor performs: an acquisition step of acquiring a first image of an object and a second image of the same object as the first image which has been captured in a different imaging direction from the first image; a display control step of displaying the acquired first and second images on a display unit; a receiving step of receiving designation of a position in the first image displayed on the display unit; a first region-of-interest specification step of specifying a first region of interest in the first image on the basis of the received designation of the position; and a second region-of-interest specification step of specifying a second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest in the second image on the basis of the specified first region of interest. In a case in which a plurality of the first regions of interest or a plurality of the second regions of interest are present in at least one of the first image or the second image and the designation of the position is received in the receiving step, the second region of interest corresponding to the first region of interest specified by the designation of the position is displayed so as to be highlighted in the display control step.

According to the display control device, the method for operating the display control device, and the program for operating the display control device of the present disclosure, it is possible to understand the correspondence relationship between the regions of interest at a glance in a case in which image diagnosis is performed on the basis of the images captured in different imaging directions.

