US-12626359-B2 - Image analyzer and storage medium

US12626359B2US 12626359 B2US12626359 B2US 12626359B2US-12626359-B2

Abstract

An image analyzer includes a hardware processor that acquires an image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of a subject at least while wearing a ventilator or within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator and generates information regarding presence or absence of complications related to the ventilator of the subject based on the acquired image.

Inventors

Takuya Yamamura

Assignees

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20221122
Priority Date: 20211213

Claims (16)

1 . A dynamic analysis system, comprising: a radiographic imaging system including a radiation generator that emits radiation and a flat panel detector that detects emitted radiation, the radiographic imaging system being operable to perform radiographic imaging of a subject; and a hardware processor configured to: receive order information specifying an evaluation item related to evaluating complications caused by a subject wearing a ventilator; and execute, in accordance with the received order information, an evaluation process specified by the evaluation item, the evaluation process including at least one of an airway complication evaluation process, a pulmonary complication evaluation process, or a cardiac complication evaluation process, wherein in executing the evaluation process, the hardware processor is configured to: control the radiographic imaging system to perform radiographic imaging of the subject to acquire a still or dynamic radiographic image of a target region of the subject at least while wearing a ventilator or within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator, in accordance with the evaluation process specified by the evaluation item; detect, in the acquired radiographic image, a predetermined anatomical structure related to the specified evaluation process by performing image processing including at least one of edge detection, frequency enhancement, template matching, machine learning, or blood flow analysis; calculate, based on the performed image processing, a first feature amount of the predetermined structure related to the evaluation process; acquire a second feature amount of the predetermined structure calculated from a radiographic image of the airway of the same subject captured before the subject was wearing the ventilator, the second feature amount being calculated using the same processing used to calculate the first feature amount; generate comparison information by comparing the first feature amount with the second feature amount; generate information regarding presence or absence of complications related to the ventilator of the subject based on the generated comparison information, in accordance with the specified evaluation process; display an evaluation screen in which the generated information is displayed together with at least the first and second feature amounts and the radiographic image from which the first feature amount was calculated; and generate and output an audio or visual alert when a difference between the first feature amount and the second feature amount exceeds a threshold value set in advance.
2 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the complications include at least one of an airway complication evaluated in the airway complication evaluation process, a pulmonary complication evaluated in the pulmonary complication evaluation process, or a cardiac complication evaluated in the cardiac complication evaluation process.
3 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 2 , wherein the airway complication includes at least one of vocal cord paralysis, tracheal stenosis, or laryngeal edema.
4 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 3 , wherein the hardware processor calculates an amount of movement of vocal cords or an amount of change in a width of glottis based on a dynamic image obtained by performing dynamic imaging of an airway of the subject within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator, and generates information regarding presence or absence of vocal cord paralysis of the subject based on the calculated amount of movement of the vocal cords or the amount of change in the width of the glottis.
5 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 4 , wherein the hardware processor generates, as the information regarding the presence or absence of vocal cord paralysis, information of comparison between the amount of movement of the vocal cords or the amount of change in the width of the glottis, which is calculated based on the dynamic image obtained by performing dynamic imaging of the airway of the subject within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator, and an amount of movement of the vocal cords or an amount of change in the width of the glottis, which is calculated based on a dynamic image obtained by performing dynamic imaging of the airway of the subject before wearing the ventilator, or statistical data of an amount of movement of vocal cords or an amount of change in a width of glottis in healthy subjects.
6 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 3 , wherein the hardware processor calculates an amount of movement of a tracheal wall, an amount of change in a diameter of a trachea, or an amount of change in a signal value of the trachea based on an image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of an airway of the subject within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator, and generates information regarding presence or absence of tracheal stenosis of the subject based on the calculated amount of movement of the tracheal wall, the calculated amount of change in the diameter of the trachea, or the calculated amount of change in the signal value of the trachea.
7 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 6 , wherein the hardware processor generates, as the information regarding the presence or absence of tracheal stenosis, information of comparison between the amount of movement of the tracheal wall, the amount of change in the diameter of the trachea, or the amount of change in the signal value of the trachea, which is calculated based on the image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of the airway of the subject within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator, and an amount of movement of the tracheal wall, an amount of change in the diameter of the trachea, or an amount of change in the signal value of the trachea, which is calculated based on the image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of the airway of the subject before wearing the ventilator, or statistical data of an amount of movement of a tracheal wall and an amount of change in a diameter of a trachea in healthy subjects or an amount of change in a signal value of the trachea in radiographic images of healthy subjects.
8 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 3 , wherein the hardware processor acquires a laryngeal airway diameter or a signal value of a larynx based on an image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of an airway of the subject within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator, and generates information regarding presence or absence of laryngeal edema of the subject based on the acquired laryngeal airway diameter or the acquired signal value of the larynx.
9 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor generates, as the information regarding the presence or absence of laryngeal edema, information of comparison between the laryngeal airway diameter or the signal value of the larynx, which is acquired based on the image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of the airway of the subject within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator, and a laryngeal airway diameter or a signal value of the larynx, which is acquired based on an image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of the airway of the subject before wearing the ventilator, or statistical data of a laryngeal airway diameter in healthy subjects or a signal value of a larynx in radiographic images of healthy subjects.
10 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 2 , wherein the pulmonary complication includes at least one of pneumothorax, pneumonia, atelectasis, pulmonary edema, and pleural effusion.
11 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 10 , wherein the hardware processor generates, as information regarding presence or absence of pneumothorax of the subject, information in which at least an image of a maximum exhalation position and an image of a maximum inhalation position obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of a chest of the subject while wearing the ventilator or within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator are subjected to frequency enhancement processing and arranged in a comparable manner.
12 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 10 , wherein the hardware processor calculates information regarding sizes of left and right lung fields based on an image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of the chest of the subject while wearing the ventilator or within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator, and generates the calculated information as the information regarding the presence or absence of pneumothorax of the subject.
13 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 10 , wherein the hardware processor calculates information of at least one of a signal value of a lung field region, a cardiothoracic ratio, and a lung field area from each of images obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of a chest of the subject before and while wearing the ventilator and generates, as information regarding presence or absence of pneumonia, atelectasis, pulmonary edema, or pleural effusion of the subject, information indicating a temporal change between the calculated information and information calculated based on an image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of the chest of the subject before wearing the ventilator or while wearing the ventilator in the past.
14 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 2 , wherein the cardiac complication is heart failure.
15 . The dynamic analysis system according to claim 14 , wherein the hardware processor calculates information of at least one of information regarding blood flow in a lung field region and a cardiothoracic ratio based on an image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of a chest of the subject while wearing the ventilator and generates, as information regarding presence or absence of heart failure of the subject, information indicating a temporal change between the calculated information and information calculated based on an image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of the chest of the subject before wearing the ventilator or while wearing the ventilator in the past.
16 . A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer readable program that is executable by a computer of a dynamic analysis system comprising a radiographic imaging system including a radiation generator that emits radiation and a flat panel detector that detects emitted radiation, the radiographic imaging system being operable to perform radiographic imaging of a subject, the program being executable by the computer to cause the computer to perform functions comprising: receiving order information specifying an evaluation item related to evaluating complications caused by a subject wearing a ventilator; and executing, in accordance with the received order information, an evaluation process specified by the evaluation item, the evaluation process including at least one of an airway complication evaluation process, a pulmonary complication evaluation process, or a cardiac complication evaluation process, wherein executing the evaluation process comprises: control the radiographic imaging system to perform radiographic imaging of the subject to acquire a still or dynamic radiographic image of a target region of the subject at least while wearing a ventilator or within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator, in accordance with the evaluation process specified by the evaluation item; detecting, in the acquired radiographic image, a predetermined anatomical structure related to the specified evaluation process by performing image processing including at least one of edge detection, frequency enhancement, template matching, machine learning, or blood flow analysis; calculating, based on the performed image processing, a first feature amount of the predetermined structure related to the evaluation process; acquiring a second feature amount of the predetermined structure calculated from a radiographic image of the airway of the same subject captured before the subject was wearing the ventilator, the second feature amount being calculated using the same processing used to calculate the first feature amount; generating comparison information by comparing the first feature amount with the second feature amount; generating information regarding presence or absence of complications related to the ventilator of the subject based on the generated comparison information, in accordance with the specified evaluation process; displaying an evaluation screen in which the generated information is displayed together with at least the first and second feature amounts and the radiographic image from which the first feature amount was calculated; and generating and outputting an audio or visual alert when a difference between the first feature amount and the second feature amount exceeds a threshold value set in advance.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-201376 filed on Dec. 13, 2021 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND Technological Field The present disclosure relates to an image analyzer and a storage medium. Description of the Related Art A technique has been proposed in which the amount of morphological change in a predetermined structure of the chest is calculated based on a plurality of frame images showing the movements of the chest, which are obtained by radiographically imaging the chest of a subject wearing a ventilator, and the respiratory state of the subject when the ventilator is worn or when the ventilator is removed is evaluated based on the calculated amount of morphological change (see, for example, JP 2018-130264 A). SUMMARY Incidentally, there is a risk of complications when a ventilator is worn, but there is no mention of complications in JP 2018-130264 A. An object of the present disclosure includes assisting a user in appropriately determining whether or not there is a complication due to wearing a ventilator. To achieve at least one of the abovementioned objects, according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an image analyzer including a hardware processor that acquires an image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of a subject at least while wearing a ventilator or within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator and generates information regarding presence or absence of complications related to the ventilator of the subject based on the acquired image. To achieve at least one of the abovementioned objects, according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory storage medium storing a computer readable program causing a computer to execute: acquiring an image obtained by performing still image capturing or dynamic imaging of a subject at least while wearing a ventilator or within a predetermined time after removing the ventilator; and generating information regarding presence or absence of complications related to the ventilator of the subject based on the acquired image. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features provided by one or more embodiments of the present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the appended drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure, wherein: FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a dynamic analysis system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a console shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the movements of vocal cords in a radiographic image of the airway (front view); FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a normal larynx and a larynx with laryngeal edema in a radiographic image of the airway (lateral view); FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the trachea at the time of exhalation and inhalation in a radiographic image of the airway (front view) of a patient with tracheal stenosis; FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an airway complication evaluation process performed by a hardware processor shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of calculating the airway diameter of the larynx; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation screen displayed on a display in step S6 of FIG. 6; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the evaluation screen displayed on the display in step S6 of FIG. 6; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a pulmonary complication evaluation process performed by the hardware processor shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the evaluation screen displayed on the display in step S26 of FIG. 10; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the evaluation screen displayed on the display in step S26 of FIG. 10; FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a cardiac complication evaluation process performed by the hardware processor shown in FIG. 2; and FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the evaluation screen displayed on the display in step S36 of FIG. 13. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments or illustrated examples. (Configuration of a Dynamic Analysis System 100) First, the configuration of an embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of the dynamic analysis system 100 according to the present embodiment. The dynamic analysis system 100 is a system for rounds for imaging a patient, who is difficult to move and is in an intensive care unit, an operating room, or the like, as a subject, and