1. A medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus, comprising:
a lung field area extraction means for extracting a lung field area from a three-dimensional medical image representing a chest region of a subject;
a branch structure area extraction means for extracting a branch structure area from the three-dimensional medical image;
a lung field local sub-area estimation means for dividing a branch structure local area representing a portion of the branch structure area into a plurality of branch structure local sub-areas and estimating a lung field local sub-area in the lung field area functionally associated with each divided branch structure local sub-area based on the branch structure area;
a pulmonary evaluation value obtaining means for obtaining a pulmonary evaluation value of pulmonary function andor morphology in each estimated lung field local sub-area; and
a display control means for displaying, in a morphological image representing morphology of at least a portion of the branch structure local area generated from the three-dimensional medical image, the pulmonary evaluation value in each lung field local sub-area functionally associated with each branch structure local sub-area in the morphological image superimposed such that a correspondence relationship between the pulmonary evaluation value and the branch structure local sub-area in the morphological image is visually recognizable,
wherein the display control means displays the pulmonary evaluation value as a color map, the color map including map elements, colors and density values of the map elements being allocated according to the pulmonary evaluation value of each of the branch structure local sub-areas, each boundary position between the map elements corresponding to each boundary position between the branch structure local sub-areas.
2. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display control means is a means that displays the pulmonary evaluation value in the morphological image superimposed on a position not to overlap with the branch structure local area.
3. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the display control means is a means that displays the pulmonary evaluation value in the morphological image superimposed on a position away from a core line of the branch structure local area by a predetermined distance.
4. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the morphological image is an image representing morphology of the entirety of the branch structure local area.
5. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the morphological image is a CPR image representing the branch structure local area.
6. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the morphological image is an image that includes a lung field local sub-area functionally associated with at least a portion of the branch structure local area.
7. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the display control means is a means that displays the pulmonary evaluation value in the morphological image superimposed on a position not to overlap with the branch structure local area and the lung field local sub-area.
8. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the apparatus further comprises a second evaluation value obtaining means for dividing the branch structure local area in the morphological image into a plurality of second branch structure local sub-areas and obtaining a second evaluation value, different from the pulmonary evaluation value, with respect to each second branch structure local sub-area; and the display control means is a means that further displays the second evaluation value of each second branch structure local sub-area superimposed on the morphological image such that correspondence relationship between the second evaluation value and the second branch structure local sub-area is visually recognizable.
9. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the display control means is a means that displays the second evaluation value in the morphological image superimposed on a position not to overlap with the pulmonary evaluation value of pulmonary function andor morphology.
10. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second evaluation value is an evaluation value of branch structure morphology.
11. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second evaluation value is a measured value of the diameter of a branch structure in each of the second branch structure local sub-areas.
12. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pulmonary evaluation value is an evaluation value representing a degree of emphysema in each of the lung field local sub-areas.
13. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a branch structure local area setting means for setting the branch structure local area in the branch structure area.
14. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the branch structure is a bronchus.
15. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 14, wherein the branch structure area extraction means is a means that further extracts a pulmonary artery area to extract an area from a portion of the pulmonary artery area nearest to a peripheral portion of the extracted bronchus area to a peripheral portion of the pulmonary artery area as a bronchus area connecting to the peripheral portion of the extracted bronchus area.
16. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 14, wherein the lung field local sub-area estimation means is a means that further extracts a pulmonary artery area and estimates the lung field local sub-area with a portion of the pulmonary artery area from a point in the pulmonary artery area nearest to a peripheral portion of the bronchus extracted by the branch structure area extraction means to a peripheral portion of the pulmonary artery being deemed as a bronchus area connecting to the peripheral portion of the bronchus.
17. The medical image diagnosis assisting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the branch structure is a pulmonary blood vessel.
18. A medical image diagnosis assisting method, comprising:
extracting a lung field area from a three-dimensional medical image representing a chest region of a subject;
extracting a branch structure area from the three-dimensional medical image;
dividing a branch structure local area representing a portion of the branch structure area into a plurality of branch structure local sub-areas and estimating a lung field local sub-area in the lung field area functionally associated with each divided branch structure local sub-area based on the branch structure area;
obtaining a pulmonary evaluation value of pulmonary function andor morphology in each estimated lung field local sub-area; and
displaying, in a morphological image representing morphology of at least a portion of the branch structure local area generated from the three-dimensional medical image, the pulmonary evaluation value in each lung field local sub-area functionally associated with each branch structure local sub-area in the morphological image superimposed such that a correspondence relationship between the pulmonary evaluation value and the branch structure local sub-area in the morphological image is visually recognizable,
wherein the pulmonary evaluation value is displayed as a color map, the color map including map elements, colors and density values of the map elements being allocated according to the pulmonary evaluation value of each of the branch structure local sub-areas, each boundary position between the map elements corresponding to each boundary position between the branch structure local sub-areas.
19. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is recorded a medical image diagnosis assisting program for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:
extracting a lung field area from a three-dimensional medical image representing a chest region of a subject;
extracting a branch structure area from the three-dimensional medical image;
dividing a branch structure local area representing a portion of the branch structure area into a plurality of branch structure local sub-areas and estimating a lung field local sub-area in the lung field area functionally associated with each divided branch structure local sub-area based on the branch structure area;
obtaining a pulmonary evaluation value of pulmonary function andor morphology in each estimated lung field local sub-area; and
displaying, in a morphological image representing morphology of at least a portion of the branch structure local area generated from the three-dimensional medical image, the pulmonary evaluation value in each lung field local sub-area functionally associated with each branch structure local sub-area in the morphological image superimposed such that a correspondence relationship between the pulmonary evaluation value and the branch structure local sub-area in the morphological image is visually recognizable,
wherein the pulmonary evaluation value is displayed as a color map, the color map including map elements, colors and density values of the map elements being allocated according to the pulmonary evaluation value of each of the branch structure local sub-areas, each boundary position between the map elements corresponding to each boundary position between the branch structure local sub-areas.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A device for allowing access to details of a purchase, including:
at least one cash register adapted to store details of a purchase;
a receipt generated by said cash register for said purchase, said receipt adapted to include a code identifying said purchase; and,
a mobile computing device with a graphical user interface adapted to scan said code and access some or all of said details related to said purchase.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said cash register is realized as a plurality of cash registers and said purchase is realized as a plurality of purchases.
3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said mobile computing device is realized as a smartphone, a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a wearable computing device, a watch computing device, Google Glass, a laptop computer, or a mobile electronic device.
4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said details include date of purchase, time of purchase, location of purchase, cash register number, last four digits of creditdebit card if employed in payment, amount paid, items purchased, unit price per item, number of each item purchased, any discounts for any of said items, and any coupons employed in said purchase.
5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said cash register is further adapted to send said details of said purchase to a at least one predetermined server.
6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said code allows access of said details of said purchase on said at least one predetermined server.
7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said receipt is realized as a digital receipt adapted to be sent wirelessly from said cash register to said mobile computing device.
8. The device according to claim 4, wherein said details are accessible to producers of said items purchased.
9. A method for providing digital details of a purchase to a consumer, including:
providing a cash register adapted to send predetermined details relating to a purchase to at least one predetermined server;
performing a check-out with said cash register, wherein a consumer pays at said cash register for at least one item that heshe has purchased;
sending details of said purchase to said at least one predetermined server;
providing said consumer with a paper receipt of said purchase, said receipt including at least one code adapted to allow said consumer access to said details of said purchase from said at least one predetermined server;
scanning said code on said receipt with a mobile computing device;
accessing said details of said purchase on said mobile computing device; and,
displaying on a graphical user interface associated with said mobile computing device said details of said purchase.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said at least one server is associated with a cloud-based computing system.
11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said at least one server is associated with a client-server network.
12. The method according to claim 9, further including the step of sending said details wirelessly from said cash register to said mobile computing device.
13. The method according to claim 9, wherein said checkout involves payment with a creditdebit card.
14. The method according to claim 9, wherein said details include date of purchase, time of purchase, location of purchase, cash register number, last four digits of credit card if employed in payment, amount paid, items purchased, unit price per item, number of each item purchased, any discounts for any of said items, and any coupons employed in said purchase.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said details further include a warranty for at least one item purchased.
16. The method according to claim 14, further including the step of sending said details to at least one third party.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said at least one third party is a manufacturer of at least one item involved in said purchase.
18. A device for allowing access to details of a purchase, including:
a cash register;
a wireless communication module associated with said cash register; and,
a mobile computing device adapted to receive information from said cash register via said wireless communication module.
19. The device according to claim 18, wherein said wireless communication module is realized as a cellular network, WiFi, IR, Bluetooth, RF, RFID, NFC, SMS, MMS, IP Push, sound signals or communication over application API.
20. The device according to claim 18, wherein said information may include any of the following: date of purchase, time of purchase, location of purchase, cash register number, last four digits of credit card if employed in payment, amount paid, items purchased, unit price per item, number of each item purchased, any discounts for any of said items, and any coupons employed in said purchase.