Medical image processing apparatus, medical image processing method, and program

1 . A medical image processing apparatus comprising a processor and an audio notifier configured to output a notification sound, wherein

the processor is configured to perform:

image reception processing for receiving time-series continuous images;

region-of-interest detection processing for detecting a region of interest from the images; and

audio control processing for performing control to cause the audio notifier to output the notification sound for a certain period if the region of interest is currently detected in the region-of-interest detection processing, the audio control processing causing the audio notifier to output the notification sound in accordance with a first time, the first time being a time from a time point at which detection of the region of interest has previously ended in the region-of-interest detection processing until a time point at which the region of interest is currently detected in the region-of-interest detection processing and the first time being a period during which the region of interest is not detected in the images, wherein the audio control processing causes the audio notifier to output the notification sound if the first time is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

2 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the audio control processing stops output of the notification sound if the region of interest is intermittently detected in the region-of-interest detection processing and the first time is less than the first threshold value.

3 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to perform:

second time detection processing for detecting a second time corresponding to the first time in a case where the region of interest has been previously detected in the region-of-interest detection processing; and

threshold value change processing for changing the first threshold value in accordance with the second time.

4 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the processor is configured to perform number-of-regions-of-interest count processing for counting a number of regions of interest detected in the images in the region-of-interest detection processing, and

the threshold value change processing increases the first threshold value if the number of regions of interest is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

5 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the processor is configured to perform number-of-regions-of-interest count processing for counting a number of regions of interest detected in the images in the region-of-interest detection processing, and

the threshold value change processing decreases the first threshold value if the number of regions of interest is less than a second threshold value.

6 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first threshold value is changed in a range of greater than or equal to 0.5 seconds and less than or equal to 3.5 seconds.

7 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first threshold value is set in a range of greater than or equal to 1.5 seconds and less than or equal to 2.5 seconds.

8 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the processor is configured to perform area calculation processing for calculating an area of the region of interest detected in the region-of-interest detection processing, and

the audio control processing

causes the audio notifier to output the notification sound if the area calculated in the area calculation processing is less than a third threshold value,

stops output of the notification sound by the audio notifier if the area calculated in the area calculation processing is greater than or equal to the third threshold value and the first time is less than the first threshold value, and

causes the audio notifier to output the notification sound if the area calculated in the area calculation processing is greater than or equal to the third threshold value and the first time is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

9 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the processor is configured to perform classification processing for classifying the region of interest detected in the region-of-interest detection processing, and

the audio control processing

causes the audio notifier to output the notification sound if a classification result of classification in the classification processing is a specific type,

stops output of the notification sound by the audio notifier if the classification result of classification in the classification processing is not the specific type and the first time is less than the first threshold value, and

causes the audio notifier to output the notification sound if the classification result of classification in the classification processing is not the specific type and the first time is greater than or equal to the first threshold value.

10 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the audio control processing

stops output of the notification sound by the audio notifier if the first time is less than the first threshold value.

11 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the audio control processing detects the first time, based on a number of the time-series continuous images.

12 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:

a display unit configured to display the images received in the image reception processing, wherein

the region of interest detected in the region-of-interest detection processing is displayed on the display unit in an emphasized manner.

13 . A medical image processing method using a medical image processing apparatus comprising a processor and an audio notifier configured to output a notification sound, wherein

the processor is configured to perform:

an image reception step of receiving time-series continuous images;

a region-of-interest detection step of detecting a region of interest from the images; and

an audio control step of performing control to cause the audio notifier to output the notification sound for a certain period if the region of interest is currently detected in the region-of-interest detection step, the audio control step causing the audio notifier to output the notification sound in accordance with a first time, the first time being a time from a time point at which detection of the region of interest has previously ended in the region-of-interest detection step until a time point at which the region of interest is currently detected in the region-of-interest detection step, and the first time being a period during which the region of interest is not detected in the images, wherein the audio control step causes the audio notifier to output the notification sound if the first time is greater than or equal to a first threshold value.

14 . A non-transitory, computer-readable tangible recording medium on which a program for causing, when read by a computer, the computer to execute the medical image processing method according to claim 13 is recorded.