Diagnosis support system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

A diagnostic imaging support system that enables confirmation of abnormalities in anatomical regions of a brain includes capturing images of the brain, specifying regions in the captured images that correspond to the anatomical regions, searching a medical database for similar cases based information associated with the specified regions, and displaying the results of the search.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A diagnosis support system, comprising:
 a specification unit configured to, based on a three-dimensional image obtained by imaging of a region including a brain of an object, specify a plurality of image regions in the three-dimensional image that correspond to a plurality of anatomical regions in the brain;   a search unit configured to search a medical case database to, based on information indicating sizes of the plurality of image regions specified by the specification unit, obtain medical case information in the medical case database; and   a transmission unit configured to transmit the medical case information obtained by the search unit,   wherein the transmitted medical case information is displayed.   
     
     
         2 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 1 , wherein the specification unit specifies, in the region of the brain included in the three-dimensional image, a first image region corresponding to a first anatomical region and a second image region corresponding to a second anatomical region not including the first anatomical region. 
     
     
         3 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an obtaining unit configured to obtain information indicating sizes of the plurality of image regions specified by the specification unit. 
     
     
         4 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the obtaining unit obtains a value indicating a rate of a volume of each of the plurality of image regions specified by the specification unit to a predetermined volume, and   wherein the search unit uses the value indicating the rate as information indicating sizes of the plurality of image regions.   
     
     
         5 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 3 , wherein the obtaining unit further obtains at least any of a statistical value of image pixels and a value indicating a shape of each of the plurality of image regions specified by the specification unit. 
     
     
         6 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 5 , wherein the search unit searches the medical case data base to obtain a medical case in the medical case database based on at least any of the statistical value of the pixel values and the value indicating the shape. 
     
     
         7 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the transmission unit transmits, to a display unit, the medical case information obtained by the searching unit, and   wherein the display unit displays the medical case information transmitted from the transmission unit in order from one having a larger evaluation value based on information indicating sizes of the plurality of image regions.   
     
     
         8 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of a plurality of pieces of medical case information included in the medical case database includes information of an object, characteristic information of each of a plurality of anatomical regions of a brain of the object, information of a diagnosis, or information of an opinion about the brain by a physician. 
     
     
         9 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the transmission unit transmits, to a display unit, the medical case information obtained by the searching unit, and   wherein the display unit displays at least one of the information of the diagnosis or the information of the opinion.   
     
     
         10 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the search unit searches the medical case database to obtain the medical case information based on characteristic information of each of the plurality of image regions specified by the specification unit and medical information of the object.   
     
     
         11 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 10 , further comprising an obtaining unit for obtaining the medical information of the object from an apparatus that manages electronic medical record information. 
     
     
         12 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 10 , wherein the search unit searches the medical case database to obtain, as the medical information of the object, the medical case information based on at least any of five grade levels of disturbance of memory, five grade levels of aphasia, scores of a judgment test, extent of accumulation of amyloid β, a degree of reduction in blood flow of a parietal lobe, or a degree of reduction in blood flow of a posterior cingulated gyrus. 
     
     
         13 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of a plurality of pieces of medical case information included in the medical case database includes information of an object, characteristic information of each of a plurality of anatomical regions of a brain of the object, information of a diagnosis or information of an opinion about the brain by a physician, or medical information of the object. 
     
     
         14 . The diagnosis support system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an estimation unit configured to estimate information indicating an age of the brain of the object based on information indicating sizes of the plurality of image regions that are specified. 
     
     
         15 . A diagnosis support system, comprising:
 a specification unit configured to, based on a three-dimensional image obtained by imaging of a region including a brain of an object, specify a plurality of image regions in the three-dimensional image that correspond to a plurality of anatomical regions in the brain;   an estimation unit configured to estimate information indicating an age of the brain of the object based on information indicating sizes of the plurality of image regions which are specified; and   an output unit configured to output the information indicating the age estimated by the estimation unit.   
     
     
         16 . An information processing method, comprising:
 a step of, based on a three-dimensional image obtained by imaging of a region including a brain of an object, specifying a plurality of image regions in the three-dimensional image that correspond to a plurality of anatomical regions in the brain;   a step of searching a medical case database to, based on information indicating sizes of the plurality of image regions specified at the specification step, obtain medical case information in the medical case database; and   a step of transmitting the medical case information obtained at the search step,   wherein the transmitted medical case information is displayed.   
     
     
         17 . An information processing method, comprising:
 a step of, based on a three-dimensional image obtained by imaging of a region including a brain of an object, specify a plurality of image regions in the three-dimensional image that correspond to a plurality of anatomical regions in the brain;   a step of estimating information indicating an age of the brain of the object based on information indicating sizes of the plurality of image regions which are specified; and   a step of outputting the information indicating the age estimated at the estimation step.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method is stored, the information processing method comprising:
 a step of, based on a three-dimensional image obtained by imaging of a region including a brain of an object, specifying a plurality of image regions in the three-dimensional image that correspond to a plurality of anatomical regions in the brain;   a step of searching a medical case database to, based on information indicating sizes of the plurality of image regions specified at the specification step, obtain medical case information in the medical case database; and   a step of transmitting the medical case information obtained at the search step,   wherein the transmitted medical case information is displayed.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method is stored, the information processing method comprising:
 a step of, based on a three-dimensional image obtained by imaging of a region including a brain of an object, specify a plurality of image regions in the three-dimensional image that correspond to a plurality of anatomical regions in the brain;   a step of estimating information indicating an age of the brain of the object based on information indicating sizes of the plurality of image regions which are specified; and   a step of outputting the information indicating the age estimated at the estimation step.