Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

There is provided an information processing apparatus and method that allow a user to easily adequately move a display area by guiding a browsed part when a needle biopsy image is browsed. The information processing apparatus includes a storage unit to store a pathological image of a specimen and guide information along the center line of a shape of the specimen in the pathological image, a display control unit to display at least a part of the stored pathological image, as an observation image, on a screen, an input unit to receive an instruction for changing a range on the pathological image of the observation image displayed on the screen, from a user, and a control unit to calculate the range on the pathological image of the observation image based on the instruction and the stored guide information.

1 . An information processing apparatus, comprising:
 a memory configured to store a pathological image of an elongated specimen, wherein the pathological image is captured as a virtual slide; and   a central processing unit (CPU) configured to:
 generate guide information that comprises a plurality of points at intervals along a center line of a shape of the elongated specimen in the pathological image; 
 control, based on the generated guide information, a display device to display a first part of the pathological image as an observation image; 
 receive an instruction to change a display range on the first part of the pathological image; 
 set a display mode of the display device as one of a normal mode or a guide mode,
 wherein, in the normal mode, a second part of the pathological image is set based on the first part of the pathological image and the instruction, and 
 wherein, in the guide mode, the second part of the pathological image is set based on the first part of the pathological image, the instruction, and the generated guide information; 
 
 calculate the display range on the second part of the pathological image based on the instruction and the generated guide information; and 
 control the display device to display the second part of the pathological image based on the calculated display range. 
   
     
     
         2 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 the generated guide information is an arrangement of positional information on the pathological image, and   the arrangement of positional information includes the plurality of points that is set on the elongated specimen.   
     
     
         3 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the CPU is further configured to:
 determine a center point of the display range on the pathological image, as a first center point;   determine a first point corresponding to the first center point on a line segment that connects adjacent points included in the generated guide information, as a second center point; and   calculate the display range on the pathological image based on the first center point and the second center point.   
     
     
         4 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the CPU is further configured to determine a second point on the line segment closest to the first center point, as the second center point. 
     
     
         5 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 the CPU is further configured to determine, as the second center point, a third point closest to the first center point among the plurality of points, and   auxiliary lines extended from the first center point in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction intersect the line segment at the third point.   
     
     
         6 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 the CPU is further configured to fetch the observation image from the memory, and   the observation image is determined based on the generated guide information and the instruction.   
     
     
         7 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the CPU is further configured to:
 switch between the guide mode and the normal mode; and   calculate the display range on the second part of the pathological image in the normal mode based on the instruction.   
     
     
         8 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the CPU is further configured to switch between the guide mode and the normal mode based on a mode switching instruction. 
     
     
         9 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the CPU is further configured to:
 determine a first input method configured to input a first instruction received in the guide mode;   determine a second input method configured to input a second instruction, different from the first instruction, received in the normal mode; and   switch between the guide mode and the normal mode based on one of the first input method or the second input method.   
     
     
         10 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the CPU is further configured to control the display device to display an arrow, and   the arrow indicates a position and a direction followed by a part of the elongated specimen that deviates from the observation image.   
     
     
         11 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the CPU is further configured to control the display device to display the generated guide information. 
     
     
         12 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the CPU is further configured to control the display device to display the generated guide information on a thumbnail map, and   the thumbnail map displays the pathological image.   
     
     
         13 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 12 , further comprising a controller that includes a tilt sensor configured to input the instruction based on a detection of a tilt of the controller. 
     
     
         14 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the CPU is further configured to calculate, based on a plurality of specimens in the pathological image and the generated guide information, the display range on the second part of the pathological image such that the observation image of a first end of a first specimen of the plurality of specimens is followed by a second end of a second specimen of the plurality of specimens. 
     
     
         15 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the center line of the shape of the elongated specimen includes the plurality of points which are connected by a plurality of line segments,   a center point of the observation image comprises a first view point,   the instruction comprises a view point candidate for the display range,   the display range is calculated based on a setting operation to set a second view point that is closest to the view point candidate,   the second view point lies on a line segment of the plurality of line segments in the guide information, and   the CPU is further configured to control the display device to display the pathological image that is centered on the second view point.   
     
     
         16 . An information processing method, comprising:
 in an information processing apparatus:
 storing a pathological image of an elongated specimen in a memory, wherein the pathological image is captured as a virtual slide; 
 generating guide information that comprises a plurality of points at intervals along a center line of a shape of the elongated specimen in the pathological image; 
 controlling, based on the generated guide information, a display device to display a first part of the pathological image as an observation image; 
 receiving an instruction to change a display range on the first part of the pathological image; 
 setting a display mode of the display device as one of a normal mode or a guide mode,
 wherein, in the normal mode, a second part of the pathological image is set based on the first part of the pathological image and the instruction, and 
 wherein, in the guide mode, the second part of the pathological image is set based on the first part of the pathological image, the instruction, and the generated guide information; 
 
 calculating the display range on the second part of the pathological image based on the instruction and the generated guide information; and 
 controlling the display device to display the second part of the pathological image based on the calculated display range. 
   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute operations, the operations comprising:
 storing a pathological image of an elongated specimen in a memory, wherein the pathological image is captured as a virtual slide;   generating guide information that comprises a plurality of points at intervals along a center line of a shape of the elongated specimen in the pathological image;   controlling, based on the generated guide information, a display device to display a first part of the pathological image as an observation image;   receiving an instruction to change a display range on the first part of the pathological image;   setting a display mode of the display device as one of a normal mode or a guide mode,
 wherein, in the normal mode, a second part of the pathological image is set based on the first part of the pathological image and the instruction, and 
 wherein, in the guide mode, the second part of the pathological image is set based on the first part of the pathological image, the instruction, and the generated guide information; 
   calculating the display range on the second part of the pathological image based on the instruction and the generated guide information; and   controlling the display device to display the second part based on the calculated display range.   
     
     
         18 . An information processing system, comprising:
 a server computer including:
 first circuitry configured to:
 store a pathological image of an elongated specimen in a memory, wherein the pathological image is captured as a virtual slide; 
 generate guide information that comprises a plurality of points at intervals along a center line of a shape of the elongated specimen in the pathological image; and 
 transmit the pathological image and the generated guide information to a client computer; and 
 
   the client computer including:
 second circuitry configured to:
 acquire the pathological image and the generated guide information from the server computer; 
 control, based on the generated guide information, a display device to display a first part of the pathological image as an observation image; 
 receive an instruction to change a display range on the first part of the pathological image; 
 set a display mode of the display device as one of a normal mode or a guide mode,
 wherein, in the normal mode, a second part of the pathological image is set based on the first part of the pathological image and the instruction, and 
 wherein, in the guide mode, the second part of the pathological image is set based on the first part of the pathological image, the instruction, and the generated guide information; 
 
 calculate the display range on the second part of the pathological image based on the instruction and the generated guide information; and 
 control the display device to display the second part based on the calculated display range.