DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING BONE MARROW READING BASED ON IMAGE ANALYSIS

Abstract

A device for supporting bone marrow reading based on image analysis includes an image acquisition unit for acquiring a bone marrow image of a subject for bone marrow reading by an imaging device; a discrimination index unit for classifying the acquired bone marrow image into a class among a plurality of classes corresponding to preset discrimination indices; and a result providing unit for providing the result read by the discrimination index unit.

Claims

1. A device for supporting bone marrow reading based on image analysis, comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires, by an imaging device, a bone marrow image of a subject for bone marrow reading; a discrimination index unit that generates a required image from the acquired bone marrow image by image processing and software operation, and classifies the acquired bone marrow image into a class among a plurality of classes corresponding to discrimination indices based on a preset algorithm; and a result providing unit that provides the required image and a discrimination result read by the discrimination index unit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the required image includes a large particle having a size larger than sizes of other particles in a vicinity thereof in a whole bone marrow image screen.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the required image includes the large particle and megakaryocytes that are present in a zone of interest in front of and behind the large particle.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the result providing unit provides both the required image and a discrimination index corresponding to a class to which the required image belongs.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a database unit that stores a plurality of bone marrow images classified based on preset discrimination indices, wherein the result providing unit provides both data analyzed by the discrimination index unit and data stored in the database unit.

6. A method of supporting bone marrow reading based on image analysis, the method comprising: acquiring, by an imaging device, a bone marrow image of a subject for bone marrow reading; generating a required image from the acquired bone marrow image by image processing; classifying the acquired bone marrow image into a class among a plurality of classes that correspond to discrimination indices based on a preset algorithm; and providing the required image and a discrimination result.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the required image includes a large particle having a size larger than sizes of other particles in a vicinity thereof in a whole bone marrow image screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the required image includes the large particle and megakaryocytes that are present in a zone of interest in front of and behind the large particle.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the discrimination result includes a discrimination index that corresponds to a class to which the required image belongs.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising: storing, in a database, a plurality of bone marrow images classified based on preset discrimination indices; and providing data from the database along with the required image and the discrimination result.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a processor or controller, the program instructions when executed by the processor or controller configured to: cause an imaging device to acquire a bone marrow image of a subject for bone marrow reading; generate a required image from the acquired bone marrow image by image processing; classify the acquired bone marrow image into a class among a plurality of classes that correspond to discrimination indices based on a preset algorithm; and provide the required image and a discrimination result.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the required image includes a large particle having a size larger than sizes of other particles in a vicinity thereof in a whole bone marrow image screen.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the required image includes the large particle and megakaryocytes that are present in a zone of interest in front of and behind the large particle.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the discrimination result includes a discrimination index that corresponds to a class to which the required image belongs.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further configured to: store, in a database, a plurality of bone marrow images classified based on preset discrimination indices; and provide data from the database along with the required image and the discrimination result.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and other aspects, features and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for describing a configuration of a device for supporting bone marrow reading based on image analysis according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 2 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a reading process of a discrimination index unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 4 shows an example of an image acquired by an image acquisition unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged photograph of an image around a large particle in FIG. 4; and

[0023] FIG. 6 shows a photograph of an example of a result provided by a result providing unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and the contents disclosed in the accompanying drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited or restricted to the exemplary embodiments.

[0025] Various modifications may be made to embodiments to be described below. Embodiments to be described below are not intended to be limited to aspects and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes thereof.

[0026] Terminologies used herein are used only to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the embodiments. A singular form may include a plural form unless otherwise clearly meant in the context. Further, in the present application, it should be understood that the term “including” or “having” indicates that a feature, a number, a step, an operation, a component, a part or the combination thereof described in the specification is present, but does not exclude a possibility of presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof, in advance.

[0027] Meanwhile, in describing the present disclosure, detailed description of related known function or configuration will be omitted if it is determined that they unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure. Terminologies herein are used to properly describe embodiments of the present disclosure, which may vary depending on a user, an operator's intention, or customs in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Accordingly, definitions of the terminologies need to be described based on contents throughout this specification.

[0028] In describing the embodiments, a detailed description of related known technologies will be omitted if it is determined that they unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiments.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for describing a configuration of a device for supporting bone marrow reading based on image analysis according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 3 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a reading process of a discrimination index unit 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 4 shows an example of an image acquired by an image acquisition unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 5 shows an enlarged photograph of an image around a large particle in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 shows a photograph of an example of a result provided by a result providing unit 30 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the device for supporting bone marrow reading based on image analysis according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an image acquisition unit 10, a discrimination index unit 20, and a result providing unit 30.

[0031] The image acquisition unit 10 acquires images of bone marrow cells such as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 using an imaging means such as CT (S1) to capture and provide all images used for bone marrow reading to a doctor.

[0032] The discrimination index unit 20 generates a required image from the acquired bone marrow image, such as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, by image processing and software operation (S2), and classifies the acquired bone marrow image into any one of a plurality of classes included in discrimination indices by a preset algorithm (S3).

[0033] For example, the required image may be a large particle having a size larger than sizes of other particles around it across a whole bone marrow image screen. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, a specified number of required images are captured and provided for the large particles.

[0034] In some embodiments, cells that are present in front of and behind the large particles in a zone of interest are generated as required images together with the large particles. A specified number of required images are configured to be provided. For example, for determining megakaryocytes, a sufficient size is defined in front of the particles are captured and provided in the specified number, and the megakaryocytes are detected with software and the high-magnification images are captured and provided.

[0035] The discrimination index of the bone marrow cell is an index that is determined by a cell classification algorithm using the high-magnification cell images acquired from a region where the cells are well-smeared, and the result providing unit 30 provides the discrimination indices together with the required images (S4).

[0036] For example, when a slide of the bone marrow specimen is a specially-stained smear slide, the result providing unit 30 may be configured to provide a specified number of particle images, zone-of-interest images, and high-magnification cell images. In addition, the number of provided images may be set by the client. Entire images of bone marrow tissue sections are provided for general staining, immunostaining, and special staining, and are configured such that the client may click and enlarge to a desired size to be observed.

[0037] Here, the discrimination index may be determined in various methods, and it may be determined in consideration of characteristic factors of the bone marrow. For example, the discrimination index may be determined based on a region that best represents the characteristics of the bone marrow where peripheral blood contamination is minimal among adjacent regions of the bone marrow cells in front of and behind the particles having relatively large sizes.

[0038] Therefore, the discrimination index unit 20 according to the embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, classifies the bone marrow images into different classes based on discrimination indices determined based on the size and shape of large particles having a size that is larger than other particles in the vicinity, and the size and shape of megakaryocytes in the zone of interest in front of and behind the large particles on the bone marrow image screen.

[0039] The result providing unit 30 provides both the required image and the result discriminated by the discrimination index unit 20, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0040] The device for supporting bone marrow reading based on image analysis according to an embodiment of the present disclosure having the configuration as described above may classify all the bone marrow images acquired by an imaging means such as CT into a class among different classes corresponding to discrimination indices and provide them. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide advantages of saving labor and time by performing bone marrow reading without microscopic observation, allowing consultation with other experts or remote reading of the bone marrow images at a place such as a central reading center by reading the bone marrow images by discrimination indices reflected with an algorithm for discrimination of bone marrow cells, and providing educational data of a complete image set for the training of bone marrow reading doctors.

[0041] The embodiment further includes a database unit 40 in which the plurality of bone marrow images that are classified according to preset discrimination indices are stored. The result providing unit 30 may provide both the data analyzed by the discrimination index unit 20 and the data stored in the database unit 40. Accordingly, since the user can compare and analyze the actually read bone marrow images and the databased bone marrow images, more precise bone marrow reading may be facilitated.

[0042] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present embodiment and the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of some of the technical ideas included in the present disclosure. It will be apparent that modified examples and specific embodiments that can be inferred by those skilled in the art within the technical ideas included in the specification and drawings of the present disclosure are included in the scope of the present disclosure.