Medical instrument, medical support device, and medical support program

A medical support device comprising a processor, wherein:

• the medical support device specifies a position and an orientation of a medical instrument inserted into a body,
• the medical instrument includes a first region provided with a first marker, an intermediate region not provided with a marker, and a second region provided with a second marker, which are disposed in a longitudinal direction,
• the first marker includes a plurality of first pattern rows arranged along a direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction, each of the first pattern rows being configured by a plurality of symbols arranged along the longitudinal direction, an arrangement of the symbols in each first pattern row being different from an arrangement of the symbols in any first pattern row adjacent thereto, and
• the second marker includes a plurality of second pattern rows arranged along the direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction, each of the second pattern rows being configured by a plurality of symbols arranged along the longitudinal direction, an arrangement of the symbols in each second pattern row being different from an arrangement of the symbols in any second pattern row adjacent thereto, and
• the processor is configured to:
• acquire an optical image by optically imaging the medical instrument inserted into the body with a camera;
• extract at least a part of pattern rows, from among the plurality of first pattern rows and the plurality of second pattern rows, from the optical image;
• and
• specify the position and the orientation of the medical instrument based on at least the part of the pattern rows that is extracted.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a medical support program that causes a computer to execute a process of specifying a position and an orientation of a medical instrument inserted into a body, in which:

• the medical instrument includes a first region provided with a first marker, an intermediate region not provided with a marker, and a second region provided with a second marker, which are disposed in a longitudinal direction,
• the first marker includes a plurality of first pattern rows arranged along a direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction, each of the first pattern rows being configured by a plurality of symbols arranged along the longitudinal direction, an arrangement of the symbols in each first pattern row being different from an arrangement of the symbols in any first pattern row adjacent thereto, and
• the second marker includes a plurality of second pattern rows arranged along the direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction, each of the second pattern rows being configured by a plurality of symbols arranged along the longitudinal direction, an arrangement of the symbols in each second pattern row being different from an arrangement of the symbols in any second pattern row adjacent thereto, and
• the process comprising:
• acquiring an optical image by optically imaging the medical instrument inserted into the body with a camera;
• extracting at least a part of pattern rows, from among the plurality of first pattern rows and the plurality of second pattern rows, from the optical image;
• and
• specifying the position and the orientation of the medical instrument based on at least the part of the pattern rows that is extracted.