Diagnosis support apparatus and diagnosis support method

A control method for a diagnosis support apparatus, the method comprising:

• detecting, from a diagnosis image, a finding and a position corresponding to the finding on the diagnosis image by performing image processing on the diagnosis image, wherein the finding is a text description that expresses a state of an object;
• searching a database storing a plurality of medical images associated with findings and diagnosis names by using the detected finding;
• and
• performing first and second display operations, said first display operation causing a display unit to display a first composite image obtained by superimposing, on the diagnosis image, the detected finding and a first marker, wherein the detected finding and the first marker are arranged at a display position, inside a display region of the diagnosis image, corresponding to the position of the detected finding, and said second display operation causing the display unit to display a second composite image obtained by superimposing, on a medical image searched for by the search unit, a finding associated with the searched-for medical image and a second marker, together with a diagnosis name associated with the medical image, wherein the finding associated with the searched-for medical image and the second marker are arranged at a display position, inside a display region of the searched-for medical issue, corresponding to a position of the finding associated with the searched-for medical image.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for a diagnosis support apparatus, the control method comprising:

• detecting, from a diagnosis image, a finding and a position corresponding to the finding on the diagnosis image by performing image processing on the diagnosis image, wherein the finding is a text description that expresses a state of an object;
• searching a database storing a plurality of medical images associated with findings and diagnosis names by using the detected finding;
• and
• performing first and second display operations, said first display operation causing a display unit to display a first composite image obtained by superimposing, on the diagnosis image, the detected finding and a first marker, wherein the detected finding and the first marker are arranged at a display position, inside a display region of the diagnosis image, corresponding to the position of the detected finding, and said second display operation causing the display unit to display a second composite image obtained by superimposing, on a medical image searched for by the search unit, a finding associated with the searched-for medical image and a second marker, together with a diagnosis name associated with the medical image, wherein
• the finding associated with the searched-for medical image and the second marker are arranged at a display position, inside a display region of the searched-for medical issue, corresponding to a position of the finding associated with the searched-for medical image.

A diagnosis support apparatus, comprising:

• an obtaining unit configured to obtain a candidate of a finding that may exist in a part of an object in a diagnostic image, wherein the finding is a text description that expresses a state of an object;
• a detection unit configured to detect, from the candidate of a finding, a finding which is included in the diagnosis image, and a position corresponding to that finding on the diagnosis image by performing image processing on the diagnosis image;
• a search unit configured to search a database storing a plurality of medical images associated with findings and diagnosis names for an image similar to the diagnosis image by using the detected finding;
• and
• a display control unit configured to perform first and second display operations, said first display operation causing a display unit to display a first composite image obtained by superimposing, on the diagnosis image, the detected finding and a first marker, wherein the finding detected by the detection unit and the first marker are arranged at a display position, inside a display region of the diagnosis image, corresponding to the position of the finding detected by the detection unit, and said second display operation causing the display unit to display a second composite image obtained by superimposing, on the similar image searched for by the search unit, a finding associated with the searched-for similar image, and a second marker together with the diagnosis name associated with the searched-for medical image, wherein
• the finding associated with the searched-for medical image and the second marker are arranged at a display portion, inside a display region of the searched-for medical image, corresponding to a position of the finding associated with the searched-for medical image.

A diagnosis support apparatus, comprising:

• a detection unit configured to detect, from a diagnosis image, a finding that is a text description expressing state of lesion of an object and a position of the lesion expressed by the finding on the diagnosis image by performing image processing on the diagnosis image;
• a search unit configured to search a database storing a plurality of medical images associated with findings and diagnosis names for a medical image by using the finding detected by the detection unit;
• and
• a display control unit configured to perform first and second display operations, said first display operation causing a display unit to display a first composite image obtained by superimposing, on the diagnosis image, the finding and a first marker, wherein the finding detected by the detection unit and the first marker are arranged at a display portion, inside a display region of the diagnosis image, corresponding to the position of the finding detected and said second display operation causing the display unit to display a second composite image obtained by superimposing, on the searched-for medical image, a finding associated with the searched-for medical image and a second marker, together with a diagnosis name associated with the searched-for medical image, wherein
• the finding associated with the searched-for medical image and the second marker are arranged at a display portion, inside a display region of the searched-for medical image, corresponding to a position of the finding associated with the searched-for medical image.

A diagnosis support system, comprising:

• a detection unit configured to detect, from a diagnosis image, a finding and a position corresponding to the finding on the diagnosis image by performing image processing on the diagnosis image, wherein the finding is a text description expressing state of an object;
• a search unit configured to search a database storing a plurality of medical images associated with findings and diagnosis names for a medical image by using the finding detected by the detection unit;
• and
• a display control unit configured to perform first and second display operations, said first display operation causing a display unit to display a first composite image obtained by superimposing, on the diagnosis image, the finding detected by the detection unit and a first marker, wherein the finding detected by the detection unit and the first marker are arranged at a display position, inside a display region of the diagnosis image, corresponding to the position of the finding detected by the detection unit, and said second display operation causing the display unit to display the second composite image obtained by superimposing, on the medical image searched for by the search unit, a finding associated with the searched-for medical image and a second marker, together with the diagnosis name associated with the searched-for medical image, wherein
• the finding associated with the searched-for medical image and the second marker are arranged at a display portion, inside a display region of the searched-for medical image, corresponding to a position of the finding associated with the searched-for medical image.

A diagnosis support apparatus, comprising:

• a detection unit configured to detect, from a diagnosis image, a plurality of findings and positions corresponding to the plurality of findings on the diagnosis image by performing image processing on the diagnosis image, wherein the findings are a text description that expresses a state of an object;
• a search unit configured to search a database storing a plurality of medical images associated with findings and diagnosis names for a medical image using the plurality of findings detected by the detection unit;
• and
• a display control unit configured to perform first and second display operations, said first display operation causing a display unit to display a first composite image obtained by superimposing, on the diagnosis image, the plurality of findings detected by the detection unit and a first markers, wherein the plurality of findings detected by the detection unit and the first markers are arranged at a display positions, inside a display region of the diagnosis image, corresponding the positions of the plurality of findings detected by the detection unit and
• said second display operation causing the display unit to display a second composite image obtained by superimposing, on a medical image searched for by the search unit, a findings associated with the searched-for medical image and a second markers together with a diagnosis name associated with the searched-for medical image, wherein the findings associated with the searched-for medical image and the second markers are arranged at a display positions, inside a display region of the searched-for medical image, corresponding to a positions of the findings associated with the searched-for medical image.