US-12620474-B2 - Medical image processing apparatus, endoscope system, method of operating medical image processing apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable medium

US12620474B2US 12620474 B2US12620474 B2US 12620474B2US-12620474-B2

Abstract

A processor device includes an image signal acquisition unit, an image processing unit, a display control unit, an image storage control unit, and a user input reception unit. The image processing unit detects a region-of-interest, superimposes and displays a highlight display, and performs a setting change from a first highlight level setting value to a second highlight level setting value for changing a shape of the highlight display to be different. The second highlight level setting value is stored together with an endoscopic image.

Inventors

Misaki MEGURO

Assignees

FUJIFILM CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20221014
Priority Date: 20200416

Claims (14)

1 . A medical image processing apparatus comprising: a processor configured to: acquire a medical image; detect a region-of-interest in the medical image; superimpose a highlight display for highlighting the detected region-of-interest on the medical image according to a first highlight level setting value and display the medical image on which the highlight display is superimposed on a display screen; receive user input information; perform a setting change from the first highlight level setting value to a second highlight level setting value by the user input information, the second highlight level setting value being different from the first highlight level setting value in a shape of the highlight display; and associate highlight display information including the second highlight level setting value with the medical image and store the medical image associated with the highlight display information in a storage.
2 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second highlight level setting value is applied, in a case of viewing the medical image read from the storage, for highlighting the region-of-interest on the medical image.
3 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to change a thickness of a line of a frame shape surrounding the region-of-interest, as a change of the shape of the highlight display, in a case where the setting change from the first highlight level setting value to the second highlight level setting value is performed.
4 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to change the number of lines of a frame shape surrounding the region-of-interest, as a change of the shape of the highlight display, in a case where the setting change from the first highlight level setting value to the second highlight level setting value is performed.
5 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to form the frame shape from a plurality of lines having different colors from each other in a case where the setting change to the second highlight level setting value is performed.
6 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the highlight display using the second highlight level setting value has a highlight level higher than a highlight level of the highlight display using the first highlight level setting value.
7 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the setting change in one stage or a plurality of stages, for the setting change from the first highlight level setting value to the second highlight level setting value.
8 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the user input information is not received, the processor is configured to associate highlight display information including the first highlight level setting value with the medical image and store the medical image associated with the highlight display information, without performing the setting change from the first highlight level setting value.
9 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to receive the user input information by an input operation of any one of a keyboard, a pressure detection device, a voice input device, or a touch panel input device.
10 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the medical image is an endoscopic image obtained by imaging an observation target by an endoscope, and the processor is configured to receive the user input information by an input operation of an operation button provided on the endoscope.
11 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the region-of-interest is a lesion portion, and the highlight display information includes any one of position information of the lesion portion in the medical image, dimensions of the lesion portion, a malignancy or a benignancy of the lesion portion, a degree of progression of the lesion portion, the presence or absence of treatment, a note, a part or an organ in which the lesion portion exists, or patient information.
12 . An endoscope system comprising: a light source device that emits an illumination light beam for illuminating an observation target; an endoscope including an imaging sensor which images the observation target illuminated with the illumination light beam; a processor; and a monitor that displays a medical image obtained by performing signal processing on an image signal which is output by the imaging sensor, wherein the processor is configured to: acquire the medical image; detect a region-of-interest in the medical image; superimpose a highlight display for highlighting the detected region-of-interest on the medical image according to a first highlight level setting value and display the medical image on which the highlight display is superimposed on the monitor, receive user input information; perform a setting change from the first highlight level setting value to a second highlight level setting value by the user input information, the second highlight level setting value being different from the first highlight level setting value in a shape of the highlight display; and associate highlight display information including the second highlight level setting value with the medical image and store the medical image associated with the highlight display information in a storage.
13 . A method of operating a medical image processing apparatus, the method comprising: acquiring a medical image; detecting a region-of-interest in the medical image; superimposing a highlight display for highlighting the detected region-of-interest on the medical image according to a first highlight level setting value and displaying the medical image on which the highlight display is superimposed on a display screen; receiving user input information; performing a setting change from the first highlight level setting value to a second highlight level setting value by the user input information, the second highlight level setting value being different from the first highlight level setting value in a shape of the highlight display; and associating highlight display information including the second highlight level setting value with the medical image and storing the medical image associated with the highlight display information in a storage.
14 . A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a computer-executable program for functioning a computer as a medical image processing apparatus that acquires a medical image and performs image processing on the medical image, the computer-executable program causing the computer to execute functions of: acquiring the medical image; detecting a region-of-interest in the medical image; superimposing a highlight display for highlighting the detected region-of-interest on the medical image according to a first highlight level setting value and displaying the medical image on which the highlight display is superimposed on a display screen; receiving user input information; performing a setting change from the first highlight level setting value to a second highlight level setting value by the user input information, the second highlight level setting value being different from the first highlight level setting value in a shape of the highlight display; and associating highlight display information including the second highlight level setting value with the medical image and storing the medical image associated with the highlight display information in a storage.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a Continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/JP2021/015712 filed on 16 Apr. 2021, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C § 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-073517 filed on 16 Apr. 2020. 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 invention relates to a medical image processing apparatus, an endoscope system, a method of operating a medical image processing apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program for a medical image processing apparatus capable of detecting a region-of-interest such as a lesion portion. 2. Description of the Related Art In a medical field, image diagnosis such as diagnosis of a disease of a patient and follow-up are performed by using medical images such as endoscopic images, X-ray images, computed tomography (CT) images, and magnetic resonance (MR) images. Based on such image diagnosis, a doctor or the like make a decision on a treatment policy. In recent years, in the image diagnosis using medical images, the medical images are analyzed, and regions-of-interest that should be carefully observed such as lesions and tumors in organs are automatically detected. In particular, by performing machine learning such as deep learning, accuracy in detection of the regions-of-interest is dramatically improved. JP5541914B (corresponding to US2012/0327205A1) and JP5663283B (corresponding to US2013/0258080A1) disclose a medical image processing apparatus that performs image processing based on detection information in a case where a region-of-interest such as a lesion portion is detected from a medical image. In image diagnosis using such a medical image processing apparatus, generally, a region-of-interest is detected from a medical image in real time and a medical image on which a highlight display for highlighting the region-of-interest is superimposed is displayed on a monitor in real time. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a case where the medical image processing apparatus described in JP5541914B and JP5663283B is used for image diagnosis, in real time display of the medical image on which the highlight display of the region-of-interest is superimposed, it is important that the highlight display is not too obtrusive so as not to hinder a diagnosis of a doctor. On the other hand, in a case where a medical image is used for viewing of a still image, a report, a presentation material, or the like other than the image diagnosis, a highlight display different from the highlight display in the image diagnosis may be required. However, in the medical image processing apparatus described in JP5541914B and JP5663283B, the highlight display can be set only in a case where a medical image is displayed in real time for the image diagnosis, and no consideration is given to a highlight display in a case where the medical image is displayed after highlight display of a region-of-interest in the medical image is performed in real time and the medical image is stored. In addition, in a case where the medical image is stored with the settings for real time display, when the medical image is thereafter displayed for viewing of a still image, a report, a presentation material, or the like, the highlight display is inconspicuous. As a result, a doctor may not notice that a region-of-interest exists in the medical image. An object of the present invention is to provide a medical image processing apparatus, an endoscope system, a method of operating a medical image processing apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable medium containing a program for a medical image processing apparatus capable of displaying a highlight display of a region-of-interest with different settings in a case where a medical image displayed in image diagnosis is subsequently displayed. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical image processing apparatus including a processor, in which the processor is configured to acquire a medical image, detect a region-of-interest in the medical image, superimpose a highlight display for highlighting the detected region-of-interest on the medical image and display the medical image on which the highlight display is superimposed on a display screen, receive user input information by an input operation of a user, perform a setting change from a first highlight level setting value to a second highlight level setting value by the user input information, the first highlight level setting value being a value for highlighting the region-of-interest in a case where the medical image is displayed on the display screen, and the second highlight level setting value being a value for changing a shape of the highlight display to be different, and associate highlight display information including the second highlight level setting va