METHOD AND A SYSTEM FOR CREATING A MEDICAL IMAGE DATABASE BY MEANS OF A CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to methods and systems for creating a medical image database, wherein data which comprise partial images of two-dimensional or higher-dimensional initial images of parts of the human body are created, a projection for obtaining feature vectors is created from the partial images, wherein, in order to prepare the execution of the projection, a neural network based on specified learning partial images is created, wherein the data records are used within the scope of a metric learning method to learn the projection and creation of the feature vectors from learning partial images. This is achieved for example by specifying learning partial images that are slightly shifted, rotated, skewed or stretched relative to one another and were created starting from the same initial image as similar.

Claims

1. A method for creating a medical image database, a) wherein data records which comprise partial images of two-dimensional or higher-dimensional initial images of parts of the human body are created, and wherein b) a projection for obtaining feature vectors is created from the partial images, which projection maps similar partial images to feature vectors with a short distance, and wherein, in order to prepare the execution of the projection, a neural network based on specified learning partial images is created, wherein the data records or part of the data records are/is used by the neural network within the scope of a metric learning method to learn the projection and creation of the feature vectors from learning partial images or groups of learning partial images and a specified similarity, that is to be achieved, between the learning partial images, wherein one or more of the following specifications form the basis of the relevant metric learning method: specification of n-tuples of learning partial images or groups of learning partial images that are slightly shifted, rotated, skewed or stretched relative to one another and were created starting from the same initial image as similar or specification of n-tuples of learning partial images or groups of learning partial images that were created starting from the same sub-region of the initial image as similar, wherein at least one of the learning partial images is modified in relation to the sub-region of the initial image in such a way that the learning partial images have different noise and/or different image intensity and/or different contrast, or specification of n-tuples of sub-regions originating from the same initial image or groups of initial images as learning partial images, wherein the similarity to be achieved between the learning partial images in question of the n-tuple is dependent on the spatial distance of the relevant sub-regions in the initial image, wherein learning partial images are considered to be all the more similar, the closer the sub-regions in question are arranged to one another in the initial image, or creation of a compressed representation of the information contained in a partial image, or specification of learning partial images or groups of learning partial images from the same initial image or from different initial images, which are considered to be similar due to external features, such as text-based, numerical or semantic information, stored with the corresponding initial images, c) wherein the projection is applied to the partial images of the data records and/or to a number of further partial images of further data records, and at least one feature vector is obtained accordingly for each of these partial images, and d) wherein the feature vectors created in this way are stored in an index data structure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein additional information is stored in the data records, wherein the additional information is specified as text information and/or semantic information and/or numerical information, and wherein, with the presence of text information or numerical information, the text information or numerical information is stored in the database in the form of tags and/or semantic representations.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the additional information is used by the neural network for creation of the projection, wherein the projection is created in such a way that learning partial images which originate from initial images or correspond to partial images associated with the same additional information are specified as similar.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the particular position of the partial images of an initial image based on the human body is determined, and wherein the information regarding the position of the partial images is used by a neural network to learn a projection for estimating the positions of partial images, wherein the projection is learned with the target function that, by mapping pairs or groups of partial images, the spatial constellation of the pairs/groups before and after the projection is similar or wherein the projection is learned based on a known mapping of partial images to positions (for example from registration processes) wherein, in addition to the feature vectors, the learned or known position information is stored in the database wherein, in the presence of a search request, the searched position in the body is determined and the database is searched for feature vectors of partial images for which the same position is stored in their data records or the position of which does not exceed a threshold value, specified by the user, for a distance from the searched position.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in order to create a search request, the user specifies text information, numerical information and/or semantic information, wherein the text information or numerical information is converted into tags and/or semantic representations wherein, in the presence of a search request in the database, feature vectors which have similar tags and/or semantic representations are searched.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein in order to create a search request, at least one query image is selected from at least one two-dimensional or higher-dimensional examination image or in an examination image sequence, a feature vector according to the learned projection is determined for the query image after step c of claim 1, the database is searched for data records with feature vectors that lie in the vicinity of the feature vector of the query image on the basis of a specified metric, and data records of which the partial images look similar to the selection region or are semantically relevant are output as the result of the search request.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, by creating section, a dimension-reduced query partial image also of reduced dimensions as appropriate is created in order to search similar images for an examination image or an examination image sequence, and said query partial image is used for the search request.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein when searching for similar feature vectors in the database, search results are excluded on account of the tags and/or semantic representations stored in the associated data records in the database, wherein search results are excluded on the basis of criteria specified by the user for the tags and/or semantic representations.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein a ranking of the determined data records in accordance with their similarity to or conformity with the tags and/or semantic representations of the search request and/or in accordance with their similarity, and/or the similarity determined by the distance of the relevant feature vectors, to at least one query image of the search request is created and output as the result of the search request.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the text information stored in the relevant data records in the form of tags, numerical information and/or the semantic information stored in the form of semantic representations is output as the result of the search request or wherein the tags of the partial images similar to the selection region are statistically evaluated and the statistical result is output.

11. The method according to claim 5, wherein the examination images and/or examination image sequences and/or text information and/or numerical information and/or semantic information forming the basis of the search request is anonymised before the search request is transmitted by the user to the database.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein without a search request, groups of partial images and/or text information and/or numerical information and/or semantic information with similar feature vectors are created and output directly in the database on account of the data provided in the database, and as appropriate additional information in respect of these groups is output, and wherein, in response to the search request of a user, adjacent groups in the database of partial images and/or text information and/or numerical information and/or semantic information with similar feature vectors are determined and output, and as appropriate additional information in respect of these groups is output.

13. The method according to claim 5, wherein the search results determined as the result of a first search request to the database, is used in order to create at least one further search request, and wherein the further search request is transmitted to at least one further database, and wherein in order to create the at least one further search request to the at least one further database, further information output as the result of the first search request to the database is used, wherein output statistical results and/or initial images and/or similar partial images are used, wherein the dimension of the output initial images and/or the output partial images is reduced as appropriate for the further search request in the at least one further database.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein individual data records of the database are used exclusively for the formation of a projection function, but are not provided to the user for inspection as results of queries.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein size details regarding the pixel dimensions or voxel dimensions of the initial images or partial images are stored in the data records, or wherein for the initial images or partial images the pixel dimensions or voxel dimensions are predefined by searching for similar reference initial images or reference partial images, originating from the same body part, with known pixel or voxel dimensions a scaling is then sought by image comparison, by means of which scaling the initial image or partial image can be brought optimally into conformity with the reference initial image or reference partial image, and proceeding from this scaling and the known pixel dimensions or voxel dimensions of the reference initial image or reference partial image, the pixel dimensions or voxel dimensions of the initial image or partial image are determined and stored in the database.

16. A system for creating a medical image database, comprising a training unit and an indexing unit downstream of the training unit, wherein the training unit is designed, under the specification of data records which comprise partial images of two-dimensional or higher-dimensional initial images of parts of the human body, to create a projection for obtaining feature vectors from the partial images, which projection, maps similar partial images to similar feature vectors and/or feature vectors with a short distance, and for preparation of the execution of the projection, to create a neural network, based on specified learning partial images, wherein the data records or part of the data records are/is used by the neural network within the scope of a metric learning method to learn the projection and creation of the feature vectors from learning partial images and a specified similarity, that is to be achieved, between the learning partial images, wherein one or more of the following specifications form the basis of the relevant metric learning method: specification of n-tuples of learning partial images that are slightly shifted, rotated, skewed or stretched relative to one another and were created starting from the same initial image as similar or specification of n-tuples of learning partial images that were created starting from the same sub-region of the initial image as similar, wherein at least one of the learning partial images is modified in relation to the sub-region of the initial image in such a way that the learning partial images have different noise and/or different image intensity and/or different contrast, or specification of n-tuples of sub-regions originating from the same initial image as learning partial images, wherein the similarity to be achieved between the learning partial images in question of the n-tuple is dependent on the spatial distance of the relevant sub-regions in the initial image, wherein learning partial images are considered to be all the more similar, the closer the sub-regions in question are arranged to one another in the initial image, or creation of a compressed representation of the information contained in a partial image, specification of learning partial images or groups of learning partial images from the same initial image or from different initial images, which are considered to be similar due to external features, such as text-based, numerical or semantic information, stored with the corresponding initial images, wherein the indexing unit is designed to apply the projection, created by the training unit, to the partial images of the data records and/or to a number of further partial images of further data records, and accordingly to obtain at least one feature vector for each of these partial images, and the feature vectors created in this way are stored in an index data structure.

17. The system according to claim 16 comprising a search unit downstream of the training unit and the indexing unit, wherein the search unit is designed to create a search request with specification of at least one query image, wherein the query image is selected from at least one two-dimensional or higher-dimensional examination image or in an examination image sequence, to determine, for the query image, a feature vector in accordance with the projection created by the training unit, to search the database for data records having feature vectors that lie in the vicinity of the feature vector of the query image on the basis of a predefined metric, and as the result of the search request, to output data records whose partial images look similar to the selection region or are semantically relevant.

18. The method according to claim 6, wherein when searching for similar feature vectors in the database, search results are excluded on account of the tags and/or semantic representations stored in the associated data records in the database, wherein search results are excluded on the basis of criteria specified by the user for the tags and/or semantic representations.

19. The method according to claim 6, wherein a ranking of the determined data records in accordance with their similarity to or conformity with the tags and/or semantic representations of the search request and/or in accordance with their similarity, and/or the similarity determined by the distance of the relevant feature vectors, to at least one query image of the search request is created and output as the result of the search request.

20. The method according to claim 6, wherein the search results determined as the result of a first search request to the database is used in order to create at least one further search request, and wherein the further search request is transmitted to at least one further database, and wherein in order to create the at least one further search request to the at least one further database, further information output as the result of the first search request to the database is used, wherein output statistical results and/or initial images and/or similar partial images are used, wherein the dimension of the output initial images and/or the output partial images is reduced as appropriate for the further search request in the at least one further database.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0069] The drawings included in the present application are incorporated into, and form part of, the specification. They illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, along with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. The drawings are only illustrative of certain embodiments and do not limit the disclosure.

[0070] FIG. 1 shows schematically the creation of a data record in a database.

[0071] FIG. 2 shows schematically a search request to the database from FIG. 1.

[0072] FIG. 3 shows schematically the sequence of a multi-database search process.

[0073] While the embodiments of the disclosure are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] Creation of a Database Containing Medical Image Data

[0075] FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of a database 2 containing medical image data, which for example are recorded in a hospital during the examination of patients. The database 2 is accessible on a server in the hospital or on the Internet and in FIG. 1 contains a plurality of data records 1a, 1b, 1c, wherein each data record 1a, 1b, 1c comprises partial images 3a, 3b, 3c of two-dimensional or higher-dimensional initial images 4a, 4b, 4c of parts of the human body (see FIG. 2).

[0076] In order to create the database 2, medical image data, for example such as images obtained by radiological processes or magnetic resonance processes, are firstly predefined as initial images 4a, 4b, 4c. This image data is constituted for example by two-dimensional x-ray images, solid graphic image data, or data from imaging microscopy processes, but also by three-dimensional x-ray or magnetic resonance tomography images or four-dimensional contrast agent image sequences. In the initial images 4a, 4b, 4c, large numbers of sub-regions are selected, for example by displacing a pixel grid along the initial image in question 4a, 4b, 4c, wherein the selected sub-regions are stored as partial images 3a, 3b, 3c in the data records 1a, 1b, 1c of the database 2. Due to the selection of partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, for example by the systematic displacement of a pixel grid along the initial image 4a, 4b, 4c in question, the position thereof in the initial image 4a, 4b, 4c is also known, and in each case for example 100,000 partial images 3a, 3b, 3c are selected from an initial image 4a, 4b, 4c. A partial image 3a, 3b, 3c however may also correspond to a total initial image 4a, 4b, 4c.

[0077] The initial image 4a of the data record 1a shown in FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional computed tomography image of the lungs of the patient. Here, it can be seen in the initial image 4a of the data record 1a that a sub-region of the right lobe of the lung of the patient contains changes. The initial images 4b, 4c and the partial images 3b, 3c, selected thereof, of the data records 1b, 1c which are likewise stored in the database 2 shown schematically in FIG. 1 are shown in FIG. 2.

[0078] When creating the database 2, a projection for obtaining feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c from the partial images 3a, 3b, 3c is created for a memory-space-saving design and/or for rapid searchability of the database 2 for content-relevant partial images. Here, the projection, in particular visually or semantically, maps similar partial images 3a, 3b, 3c to similar feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c, and when applied to a partial image 3a, 3b, 3c delivers a feature vector 6a, 6b, 6c, wherein in particular the number of entries of a particular feature vector 6a, 6b, 6c is lower than the number of pixels of partial images 3a, 3b, 3c.

[0079] This reduction of the entries of a feature vector 6a, 6b, 6c in comparison to the number of the pixels of a partial image 3a, 3b, 3c leads advantageously to a quicker searchability of the database 2. Instead of a time-consuming and processing-power-intensive searching of the database 2 for similar initial images 4a, 4b, 4c or partial images 3a, 3b, 3c of the initial images 4a, 4b, 4c, a search for similar feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c representing the partial images 3a, 3b, 3c or initial images 4a, 4b, 4c is sufficient. Furthermore, this projection makes it possible to map partial images 3a, 3b, 3c that look different, but with which, however, similar semantic information is stored, for example, by the same hospital, to similar feature vectors, which will be explained hereinafter in even further detail. Partial images 3a, 3b, 3c in which for example the mapped tissue has changes of different visual appearance, but which can be associated with the same disease are thus also mapped to similar feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c.

[0080] In order to prepare the execution of the projection, a neural network, in particular a convolutional neural network, is created on the basis of specified learning partial images by a training unit. The data records 1a, 1b, 1c or part of the data records 1a, 1b, 1c are/is used by the neural network within the scope of a metric learning method in order to learn the projection and the creation of the feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c from learning partial images and a predefined similarity, that is to be achieved, between the learning partial images.

[0081] In order to effectively learn the projection or the creation of the feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c, n-tuples of learning partial images or groups of learning partial images of one or more of the following types are specified as similar by the relevant metric learning method: [0082] learning partial images which are slightly shifted, rotated, skewed or stretched relative to one another and are created proceeding from the same initial image 4a, 4b, 4c and/or [0083] learning partial images which are created proceeding from the same sub-region of the initial image 4a, 4b, 4c, wherein at least one of the learning partial images is modified in relation to the sub-region of the initial image 4a, 4b, 4c in such a way that the learning partial images have different noise and/or different image intensity and/or different contrast and/or [0084] learning partial images of sub-regions originating from the same initial image 4a, 4b, 4c, wherein the similarity that is to be achieved between the particular learning partial images of the n-tuple is dependent on the spatial distance of the relevant sub-regions in the initial image 4a, 4b, 4c, wherein in particular learning partial images are considered to be all the more similar, the closer the relevant sub-regions are arranged to one another in the initial image 4a, 4b, 4c and/or [0085] creation of a compressed representation of the information contained in a partial image 3a, 3b, 3c, described by way of example in Bengio, Yoshua, Aaron Courville, and Pascal Vincent. Representation learning: A review and new perspectives. IEEE transactions on pattern analysis and machine intelligence 35.8 (2013): 1798-1828, Goodfellow, Ian, et al. Generative adversarial nets. Advances in neural information processing systems. 2014; [0086] learning partial images from the same initial image 4a, 4b, 4c or from different initial images 4a, 4b, 4c which are to be considered similar on account of external features, such as text-based, numerical or semantic information, stored with the corresponding initial images 4a, 4b, 4c.

[0087] Following this learning phase, the projection of an indexing unit onto the partial images 3a, 3b, 3c of the data records 1a, 1b, 1c and/or onto a number of partial images of further data records is performed, and at least one feature vector is created accordingly for each of these partial images. The feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c created in this way are stored in the data records in particular in a manner linked to the initial images.

[0088] A feature vector 6a shown in FIG. 1 by way of example for the data record 1a of the database 2 contains 18 entries and comprises a much lower number of entries than the three-dimensional image detail of a corresponding partial image 3a shows.

[0089] The individual initial images 4a, 4b, 4c or partial images 3a, 3b, 3c specified in order to create the database 2 can be provided optionally with additional information 5, wherein the additional information 5 is specified as text information and/or semantic information and/or numerical information. The additional information 5 may be medical information, for example. It can be specified for example that a portion of the mapped body parts comprises changes, what types of changes are concerned, or by which disease these changes have been caused. However, the additional information 5 can also be personal information, such as the age and sex of the patient. This additional information 5 can be stored optionally likewise in the data records 1a, 1b, 1c in the database 2. In order to store additional information 5 of this kind compactly in the database 2 and in order to display semantically relevant relationships, text information or numerical information is stored in the indexed data structure in the form of tags and/or semantic representations 7a, 7b, 7c and/or semantic information is stored in the index data structure in the form of semantic representations 7a, 7b, 7c.

[0090] In the example shown in FIG. 1 the entries in the medical records of the patient are available as additional information 5 for the data record 1a in the database 2. Here, instead of text-based contents of the medical records, semantic representations 7a of the entries in the medical records of the patient for age and sex and clinical picture are stored in the data record 1a in the database 2. The example concerns a 93-year-old male patient, diagnosed with lung cancer. In this case, number combinations are stored as semantic representations 7a: 82 represents the sex of the patient, 93 the age, and 16 the diagnosed disease. More complex information, such as more comprehensive descriptions in clinical observations, can be converted by self-trained neural networks, for example recurrent neural networks (RNNs), described by way of example in Sundermeyer, Martin, Ralf Schluter, and Hermann Ney. LSTM neural networks for language modeling. Thirteenth Annual Conference of the International Speech Communication Association. 2012, or convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with attention mechanisms, described by way of example in Vaswani, Ashish, et al. Attention Is All You Need arXiv preprint arXiv: 1706.03762 (2017), into semantic codes, optionally together with a weighting (for example absent/mild/possibly present/definitively present) and stored together therewith. Alternatively, entire paragraphs and reports can be displayed and stored by neural networks, for example paragraph vectors, as described by way of example in Dai, Andrew M, Christopher Olah, and Quoc V. Le. Document embedding with paragraph vectors. arXiv preprint arXiv: 1507.07998 (2015).

[0091] Additional information 5 of this kind can optionally be utilized by the neural network in order to create the projection which maps partial images 3a, 3b, 3c onto feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c. Here, the projection is created in such a way that learning partial images originating from initial images 4a, 4b, 4c or corresponding to partial images 3a, 3b, 3c associated with the same additional information 5 are specified as being similar.

[0092] In the shown example in FIG. 1, learning partial images in which the imaged lung tissue shows similar changes and which are associated with the same disease designation for example in the form of additional information 5, are specified for the learning of the projection or the creation of the feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c. Partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, in which lung tissue having similar changes is imaged and the patient in question is suffering from a potentially similar disease, are thus mapped to similar feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c.

[0093] Furthermore, the particular position of the partial images 3a, 3b, 3c of an initial image 4a, 4b, 4c in relation to the human body can be stored optionally in the data records 1a, 1b, 1c and the database 2. The information regarding the position of the partial images 3a, 3b, 3c can be used in particular by a neural network in order to learn a projection for finding body parts by means of feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c of partial images 3a, 3b, 3c.

[0094] Search Query to the Database

[0095] In order to create a search request to the database 2, a query image 3 formed of at least one two-dimensional or higher-dimensional examination image 4 or in an examination image sequence is firstly selected by the user. Additional information 5 possibly available can be used additionally, however, by a search unit to create the search request, if such information is present.

[0096] Alternatively or additionally, text information, for example diagnosis text, numerical information, for example the age or age group of the patient, and/or semantic information, for example a disease, can also be specified by the user in order to create a search request. Here, the text information or numerical information can be converted by the search unit into tags and/or semantic representations 7a, 7b, 7c. A search is then performed for feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c which display similar tags and/or semantic representations 7a, 7b, 7c.

[0097] For example, it is thus possible to create a search request for data records which for example are associated with a specific patient name or a specific disease. If, for example, a user creates a search request with wrist fracture as text information, the specified text information is converted into a semantic representation, in the example the number combination 53, and is transmitted to the database 2. In the example in FIG. 2, in this case the data record 1b, in which a corresponding semantic representation 7b is stored, is output as the result of the search.

[0098] In order to create a search request on the basis of image information to the database 2, one or more feature vectors 6 of the query image 3 is/are determined initially for the query image 3, as described above, in accordance with the learned projection. A search is then performed in the database 2 for data records 1a, 1b, 1c with feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c, which lie in the vicinity of the feature vector 6 of the query image 3 on the basis of a predefined metric. Partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, which are optionally sorted and which look similar to the selection region, are output as the result of the search request, optionally together with or replaced by the data records 1a, 1b, 1c.

[0099] The sorting of the partial images of the result is based on the similarity of the corresponding feature vectors to the one or more feature vector(s) of the query image. The distances of the data records 1a, 1b, 1c from the query image and therefore an optional sorting can be determined for example by the accumulation of the distances of the result vectors for each data record by the number of result vectors per data record within a selected similarity threshold value by analysis of the spatial configuration of the partial images corresponding to the result vectors within the result data records by analysis of the additional information stored in the database for the result vectors.

[0100] Partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, which for example show similar disease pictures, can thus be found in the database 2 on account of the feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c associated with them, without having to perform a time-consuming and processing-power-intensive search directly for partial images 3a, 3b, 3c. A comparatively quick search for feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c which are similar to the feature vector 6 of the query image 3 is sufficient to find similar partial images 3a, 3b, 3c and the initial images 4a, 4b, 4c associated therewith. Furthermore, this approach makes it possible to find feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c and corresponding partial images 3a, 3b, 3c which are indeed visually different, but are semantically relevant in accordance with the projection created by the training unit, since they are for example associated with the same disease picture.

[0101] Furthermore, criteria can be specified optionally by the user, for example in order to reduce the number of potential hits when searching a database 2. For example, when searching for similar feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c in the database 2, search results can also be excluded on account of the tags and/or semantic representations 7a, 7b, 7c stored in the associated data records 1a, 1b, 1c in the database 2, wherein in particular search results can be excluded under criteria specified by the user for the tags and/or semantic representations 7a, 7b, 7c. For example, it is thus possible to search only for results of patients of the same sex and/or in the same age group.

[0102] A ranking of the determined data records 1a, 1b, 1c can be output optionally as a result of the search request. The determined data records 1a, 1b, 1c are ranked here by the search unit according to their similarity to or conformity with the tags and/or semantic representations 7a, 7b, 7c of the search request and/or according to their similarity, determined in particular by the distance of the relevant feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c, to at least one query image 3 of the search request, and the ranking created in this way is displayed to the user.

[0103] The text information or numerical information stored in the relevant data records 1a, 1b, 1c in the form of tags and/or the semantic information stored in the form of semantic representations 7a, 7b, 7c can optionally be output as the result of the search request, and/or the tags of the partial images 3a, 3b, 3c similar to the selection region can be evaluated statistically. The statistical result thus obtained can then be output. This statistic can help, for example in the case of differential diagnosis, in grouping different disease pictures associated with visually similar signs or changes and in presenting these to the user. Furthermore, statistics regarding the frequency for example of male or female patients suffering from a specific disease or the frequency with which a specific age group is afflicted by a specific disease can be created easily for example by the user on the basis of the search results.

[0104] FIG. 2 shows a database 2 of a hospital having three data records 1a, 1b, 1c stored therein, which comprise information regarding patients or cases of disease. Each of the data records 1a, 1b, 1c comprises a feature vector 6a, 6b, 6c respectively, which in each case was created proceeding from a partial image 3a, 3b, 3c respectively, selected from initial images 4a, 4b, 4c systematically, for example by means of displacement of a pixel grid. The initial images 4a, 4b, 4c in FIG. 2 are three-dimensional computed tomography images, wherein the initial images 4a, 4c show images of lungs and the initial image 4b shows an image of a hand. The lobes of the lung shown in the initial images 4a, 4c each comprise changes to the lung tissue. The hand shown in the initial image 4b has a wrist fracture.

[0105] Each data record 1a, 1b, 1c in the database in FIG. 2 further comprises a semantic representation 7a, 7b, 7c respectively. In the example, number combinations represent the sex and the diagnosed disease, which in each case are noted in the medical records of the patient with whom the initial images 4a, 4b, 4c in question are associated. In the example, 82 represents male, 89 female, 16 the diagnosis lung cancer and 53 wrist fracture.

[0106] In the example shown in FIG. 2, a first search request is made by a user to a database 2. A three-dimensional computed tomography image of a lung is specified as examination image 4. In the examination image 4, a portion of the left lobe of the lung is selected by the user as query image 3, since this region of the lobe of the lung comprises changes. In order to verify his/her preliminary diagnosis of lung cancer, the user would like to obtain, as the result of his/her search request to the database 2, data records which contain partial images of lung tissue comprising similar changes and which compare associated diagnoses with the diagnosis that he/she has made provisionally.

[0107] The query image 3 is used initially solely to create the first search request, wherein data records in the database 2 in which partial images similar to the query image 3 are stored in the database 2 should be determined. In order to create the search request, a feature vector 6 of the query image 3 is firstly created, as described above, in accordance with the learned projection proceeding from the query image 3, and is transferred as search request to the database 2, which is indicated schematically in FIG. 2 as a solid arrow in the direction of the database 2. Those data records of which the feature vectors are similar to the feature vector 6 of the query image 3 are then now determined in the database 2.

[0108] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the data records 1a and 1c are output as the result of the first search request; this circumstance is indicated by continuous arrows from the database 2. The feature vectors 6a, 6c of the data records 1a, 1c were created in each case proceeding from partial images 3a, 3c of an initial image 4a, 4c, which in each case show a three-dimensional computed tomography image of a lobe of a lung having similar changes to the query image 3. The feature vector 6b stored in the data record 1b does not have sufficient similarity with the feature vector 6 of the query image 3, since the feature vector 6b was created on the basis of partial images 3b of an initial image 4b which shows a detail of a three-dimensional computed tomography image of a hand of a patient, and therefore is not output.

[0109] In addition, the semantic representations 7a, 7c stored in the data records 1a, 1c which in each case contain the number combination 16 for the diagnosis lung cancer are output. As the result of his/her search request, the user is thus now provided with the data records 1a, 1c comprising images of lung tissue having changes similar to those in the current patient and having the relevant diagnosis in each case, in this example lung cancer, in order to verify his/her preliminary diagnosis.

[0110] In the example shown in FIG. 2, semantic representations 7 of the entries in the medical records of the patient whose examination image 4 forms the basis of the query are also available for the creation of the search requests. These semantic representations 7 in this case comprise the number combinations 82 for male and 16 for the preliminary diagnosis lung cancer.

[0111] The user would now like to search selectively the data records belonging to male patients in whom lung cancer has been diagnosed and whose lung tissue demonstrates changes similar to those in the current patient. A second search request is therefore made to the database 2 by the user, in which request the search criteria male and lung cancer are specified by the user in addition to the query image 3. In order to create the second search request, the query image 3 and the semantic representations 7 comprising 82 for male and 16 for lung cancer are therefore transmitted to the database 2, which is illustrated schematically in FIG. 2 as a dashed arrow in the direction of the database 2.

[0112] With the second search request, a search is now performed in the database 2 for data records having feature vectors that lie in the vicinity of the feature vector 6 of the query image 3 on the basis of a predefined metric, wherein data records whose semantic representations 7 do not include the number combination 82 for male and 16 for lung cancer are excluded.

[0113] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the data record 1a is output as the result of the second search request, this being indicated by a dashed arrow from the database 2. The data record 1a comprises a feature vector 6a which is similar to the feature vector 6 of the query image 3, and in addition the semantic representations 7a comprise the number combinations 82 for male and 16 for lung cancer.

[0114] The data record 1c is not output as the result of the second request, although the feature vector 6c is similar to the feature vector 6 of the query image 3, since the semantic representation 7c comprises the number combination 89 for female and therefore does not match all criteria of the second search request. The data record 1a, which contains the images of the lungs of a male patient who has lung cancer, is thus available to the user for verification of his/her preliminary diagnosis.

[0115] Alternatively, the result of a first search request, for example lung cancer, can be used in order to search for relevant content for example in reference databases, websites, databases containing scientific articles, or hospital information systems. Furthermore, due to the optional additional information of the data records regarding the position within the human body, information can be output in conjunction with the corresponding anatomical position (lung bottom left) or the corresponding organ (lower left lobe of the lung).

[0116] Alternatively, in order to create a search request for an examination image 4 or an examination image sequence of similar images by creation of a section, a dimension-reduced partial query image, which is also reduced in respect of its dimensions as appropriate, can be created, and this partial query image can be used for the search request. For example, higher-dimensional examination images 4 can thus be used to create a search request to a lower-dimensional database 2. A two-dimensional section for example from a three-dimensional computed tomography image can in this way be used as partial query image for a search request in a database 2 comprising data records with images from scientific articles.

[0117] Alternatively, in order to create a search request to a database 2, a two-dimensional query image 3 from a scientific article or from a website, or a portion thereof, can be specified by a user, for example. The database 2 to be queried can contain data records 1a, 1b, 1c comprising two-dimensional or three-dimensional initial and/or partial images.

[0118] A search request of this kind to a higher-dimensional database 2 proceeding from a lower-dimensional query image 3 is possible if the training unit, when creating projections in order to obtain feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c from partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, was trained to map, in particular visually or semantically, similar partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, regardless of their partial image format, for example partial image dimension or size, onto similar feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c.

[0119] Partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, which are mapped by a first projection, which was learned proceeding from learning partial images with a first dimension, to similar feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c are thus also mapped by a second projection, which was learned proceeding from learning partial images with a second dimension, likewise to similar feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c. Structures which for example are similar in a three-dimensional space are therefore also identified as being similar in a section.

[0120] Furthermore, a query image 3 of unknown position in the human body can optionally be specified by a user and transmitted as search request to the database 2. In this case the sought position in the human body is firstly determined, and a search is performed in the database 2 for feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c of partial images 3a, 3b, 3c for which the same position in relation to the human body is stored in the respective data records 1a, 1b, 1c, or the position of which does not exceed a threshold value, specified by the user, for the distance from the sought position. Partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, which show a spatially similar detail of a human body as compared to the query image 3, are determined as the result of the search request.

[0121] The examination images 4 and/or examination image sequences and/or text information and/or numerical information and/or semantic information forming the basis of a search request can optionally be anonymized prior to the transmission of the search request by the user to the database 2. In this way, it can be ensured by the user that the personal data of a patient it is not transmitted to the database 2 when a search request is made. This can be achieved for example in accordance with the DICOM PS3.15 2013 anonymization guidelines.

[0122] Furthermore, in response to a search request of a user in the database 2, groups of partial images 3a, 3b, 3c and/or text information and/or numerical information and/or semantic information with similar feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c can be created and output optionally, and as appropriate additional information 5 in respect of these groups, and/or adjacent groups of partial images 3a, 3b, 3c and/or text information and/or numerical information and/or semantic information with similar feature vectors 6a, 6b, 6c is determined and output, and as appropriate additional information 5 in respect of these groups is output.

[0123] Multi-Database Method (Cascade Search)

[0124] One embodiment of the invention offers the possibility of carrying out a multi-stage search method successively in a plurality of databases. Firstly, as described above, a first search request is transmitted to a database 2. The search results determined as the results of this first search request to the database 2, in particular partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, group information, text information, numerical information and/or semantic information, are then used to create at least one further search request, and this further search request is transmitted to at least one further database 2a.

[0125] In order to create the at least one further search request to the at least one further database 2a, further information output as the result of the first search request to the database 2, in particular output statistical results and/or initial images 4a, 4b, 4c and/or similar partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, can be used alternatively or additionally, wherein the dimension of the output initial images 4a, 4b, 4c and/or the output partial images 3a, 3b, 3c is reduced as appropriate for the search request in the at least one further database 2a, for example a literature database.

[0126] For example, it is thus possible, proceeding from determined three-dimensional partial images 3a, 3b, 3c, to create a further search request and to transmit this to a literature database containing only two-dimensional images, wherein for example data records containing two-dimensional images from scientific publications are output as the result.

[0127] FIG. 3 shows schematically the sequence of a search method of this kind for searching the database 2 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which database comprises data records 1a, 1b, 1c containing information determined within the scope of examinations performed on patients, and in a further database 2a which comprises further data records 1a, 1b containing information from the specialist literature.

[0128] Firstly, a user, i.e. a doctor employed in the hospital, specifies an examination image 4 and a query image 3 selected therein in order to create a first search request to the database 2. In addition, the user in the shown example specifies additional information 5 as search criteria in order to create the first search request to the database 2, though this is by no means absolutely necessary. Proceeding from the query image 3, a feature vector 6 of the query image 3 is created after the projection created as described above, the additional information 5 is converted into semantic representations 7, and both are transmitted to the database 2 as first search request, which is indicated by a solid arrow.

[0129] As the result of the first search request, the data records 1a, 1b are output from the database 2 and comprise feature vectors 6a, 6b lying in the vicinity of the feature vector 6 of the query image 3 and comprise semantic representations 7a, 7b similar to the semantic representation 7 specified by the user.

[0130] In the example in FIG. 3 the data records 1a, 1b determined in the first search request to the database 2 are then used to create a further search request. To this end, sections are created through the three-dimensional partial images 3a, 3b and are used to create the further search request, which is transmitted to the further database 2a. The further data records 1a, 1b, which contain two-dimensional images from scientific publications, the feature vectors of which lie in the vicinity of the feature vectors 6a, 6b of the data records 1a, 1b determined as the result of the first search request, are output by the further database 2a as the result of the second search request.

[0131] A total of four data records is now available to the user in the example in FIG. 3, these data records being similar to the user's selected query image 3, wherein in the example the data records 1a, 1b of the database 2 contain three-dimensional partial images 3a, 3b or initial images 4A, 4b of patients in the hospital, and the further data records 1a, 1b of the further database 2a contain two-dimensional images from a scientific specialist journal.

[0132] In addition, for example semantic representations 7a, 7b stored in the data records 1a, 1b determined in the first search request are also used in order to create the second search request. In this case data records which comprise semantic representations similar to the semantic representations 7a, 7b are determined in the further database 2a.

[0133] In the case of a multi-stage search method of this kind, individual data records 1a, 1b, 1c of the database 2 can optionally be used exclusively for the formation of a projection function, but are not made available to the user for inspection as results of queries.

[0134] This case is indicated in FIG. 3 by the dot-and-dash framing of the database 2. A user, for example a doctor with his/her own practice, does not have direct access to the data records 1a, 1b, 1c in the database 2, but can use the database 2 in order to create a multi-stage search request. In this case a query image 3 is selected by the user proceeding from the examination image 4 in order to create a first search request. A feature vector 6 of the query image 3 is determined for the query image 3 and is transmitted to the database 2.

[0135] As described previously, the data records 1a, 1b for which the partial images 3a, 3b look similar to the selected query image 3 are determined as the result. The data records 1a, 1b, however, are not shown to the user, and instead are used exclusively for the creation of a further search request, which is transmitted to the further database 2a. As the result to his/her search request, the user ultimately receives the further data records 1a, 1b of the further database 2a, the partial images of which are similar to the selected query image 3 and the partial images 3a, 3b of the data records 1a, 1b.

[0136] The case that the user directly transmits a search request to the further database 2a is shown in FIG. 3 by the dashed arrows. In this case a search request is transmitted directly by the user to the further database 2a, and five data records are determined in the further database 2a and shown to the user as the result of the search request. The shown search results in this case also contain data records of less relevance, since in comparison to the multi-stage search the criterion of similarity to the data records 1a, 1b of the database 2 is spared. This shows that a multi-stage search method delivers more precise search results.

[0137] When creating the database 2 in the data records 1a, 1b, 1c, size details regarding the pixel dimensions or voxel dimensions of the initial images 4a, 4b, 4c or partial images 3a, 3b, 3c can be stored optionally and/or the pixel dimensions or voxel dimensions for the initial images 4a, 4b, 4c or partial images 3a, 3b, 3c can be specified.

[0138] In order to specify the pixel dimensions or voxel dimensions, a search is performed for similar reference initial images or reference partial images, originating in particular from the same body part, with known pixel or voxel dimensions, and a scaling is then sought by image comparison, by means of which scaling the initial image or partial image can be brought optimally into conformity with the reference initial image or reference partial image, and, proceeding from this scaling and the known pixel dimensions or voxel dimensions of the reference initial image or reference partial image, the pixel dimensions or voxel dimensions of the initial image 4a, 4b, 4c or partial image 3a, 3b, 3c are determined and stored in the database 2.

[0139] Similarly, such a correspondence to a query image 3 for which no correspondence between pixel/voxel size and physical measurement units, such as mm, is known can be estimated as necessary by making a search request to the database 2 and using correspondences between pixel/voxel size and physical measurement unit of the reference initial images or reference partial images determined as the result of the search request in order to estimate the correspondence in the query image 3.