JP2008245742A - Medical information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the operation of specifying medical images in a medical information processor. <P>SOLUTION: An image testing device extracts the prescribed number of medical images respectively in the order of the image number from the beginning and the ending out of the medical images which belong to a set of series and have the image numbers assigned in the series, and displays in a manner to arrange the medical images extracted in the order from the beginning and the medical images extracted in the order from the ending in a display part (Step S14). When the operation to specify the medical images meeting the beginning point and the ending point in a region of the medical images provided for reading out of the displayed medical images is performed through an operational part (Step S17), information showing that the medical images are the beginning point and the ending point in the region is attached to the medical images of the specified beginning point and ending point (Step S18). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a medical information processing apparatus.

    In the medical field, various image generation devices (also called modalities) such as CR (Computed Radiography), CT (Computed Tomography), and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), and PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) System is used. In this system, medical image data captured and digitized by an image generation apparatus is managed by PACS and used for medical examinations and the like.

Conventionally, before transferring a medical image generated by an image generation device to a PACS, a radiographer or the like browses the medical image to check whether the image has been taken as instructed or to obtain an image density suitable for interpretation. Systems have been developed that can perform image processing operations such as image processing operations.
When displaying a medical image for an image examination operation, a method for displaying a medical image by classifying medical images in advance for each image attribute (for example, type) is disclosed so that the examiner can easily view the medical image. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP-A-6-292654

  In a CT apparatus or the like, imaging is performed for a certain range such as from the chest to the abdomen, and a medical image of a tomogram is generated within the range, so that a large number of medical images such as 100 to thousands of images can be obtained in one imaging. Often obtained. In general, in order to reliably obtain a medical image in a range designated as necessary for a medical examination by a doctor, imaging is often performed with the range further expanded than the designated range. For this reason, some of the obtained medical images are not required by the doctor, and a range necessary for interpretation is determined by an imaging operation.

Conventionally, when performing the above-described image inspection operation, a medical image is displayed by the display method shown in FIG. In the display screen shown in FIG. 10, it is assumed that a series of medical images generated by the same photographing belongs to a series, and medical images are classified for each series and the thumbnail images are displayed. The thumbnail images are displayed side by side from the top in the order of the image numbers assigned to the medical images (the image numbers are assigned in the order in which the medical images are generated).
According to this display method, a medical image can be grasped in series units. However, when there are a large number of medical images belonging to one series, such as a medical image generated by a CT apparatus, the medical image falls within the display area of the series. I can't. Therefore, the number of sheets that can be displayed is displayed in the display area, and the remaining medical images that could not be displayed are displayed by scroll display or the like (this is called tile display). Alternatively, a stack display is performed in which other medical images are sequentially superimposed on the medical image, and the medical image displayed on the front is switched by a scroll operation.

  In determining the range necessary for interpretation, each of the medical images corresponding to the start and end points of the range, that is, medical images whose image numbers are largely separated from each other, is designated and operated. Since the medical images to be displayed are switched by sequentially scrolling, it is difficult to grasp the overall position (order) of the currently displayed medical image in the series. In addition, the start point and end point may be determined at approximately the same interval from the beginning or end of the image number of the medical image. However, in the above display method, the start point and end point are specified separately, so the end point is specified. In operation, there is also a problem that it is not possible to know how far the start point is determined from the top of the medical image.

  An object of the present invention is to facilitate a designation operation of a medical image.

The invention according to claim 1 is a medical information processing apparatus,
Display means for displaying an image;
Extract a predetermined number of medical images in order from the first and last image numbers from among the medical images belonging to a series and assigned image numbers in the series. Display control means for displaying medical images extracted in order from the display means on the display means;
An operation means for designating and operating a medical image corresponding to a start point and an end point of a range of a medical image used for interpretation from among the displayed medical images;
Ancillary control means for attaching information indicating the start point or end point of the range to the medical image of the start point and end point specified via the operation means;
Is provided.

The invention according to claim 2 is the medical information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The display control means increases the number of medical images extracted from the head or tail according to the enlargement range when the display area of the medical image extracted from the head and the tail is operated through the operation means. The increased number of medical images is displayed in addition to the displayed medical image extracted from the head or tail.

The invention according to claim 3 is the medical information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The display control means sets the same number of medical images to be extracted from the head and the tail at both the head and the tail.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the medical images extracted from the head or the tail of the image number are displayed side by side, when determining the range necessary for interpretation from among the medical images belonging to the series, the image number The medical images from the beginning and the end can be browsed at the same time, and the operation for specifying the start point and end point of the range becomes easy. Further, the position occupied by the range necessary for interpretation in the entire medical image can be easily grasped, and the range can be easily determined.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the number of medical images displayed from the beginning and end of the image number can be increased by the enlargement operation. If the predetermined number of medical images initially displayed does not include a range necessary for interpretation, the number of medical images to be browsed can be further increased by a simple operation of expanding the display area.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, the number of medical images extracted from the beginning and end is made equal, so that the positioning from the beginning or end of the entire medical image belonging to the series can be easily grasped. This facilitates determination of the range necessary for interpretation.

First, the configuration will be described.
FIG. 1 shows a system configuration of the medical image system 100.
As shown in FIG. 1, the medical image system 100 includes a RIS 1, an image generation device 2, an image inspection device 3, a PACS 4, and a control device 5. The devices 1 to 5 are connected via a network N.

  The RIS1 is a radiology information system that manages information in the radiology department, and generates and manages order information. The order information is generated in response to a doctor's order information registration operation, and includes patient information of a patient to be imaged, examination information regarding examination contents, and the like. The patient information includes information such as the patient's name, patient ID (ID assigned to each patient), and sex. The inspection information includes, for example, an inspection ID (an ID given to individually identify the inspection), a modality used for imaging (name of CR apparatus, CT apparatus, etc.), an imaging method (simple imaging, enlarged imaging, etc.), imaging Information such as a part (chest, abdomen, etc.), imaging direction (front, oblique, etc.), imaging position (standing position, supine position, etc.) is included.

The RIS1 generates order information in a necessary photographing unit. For example, even when the imaging direction is different between the chest front and the chest side by the same CR device, two pieces of order information are generated because imaging is performed. On the other hand, when a tomographic image is taken for a certain region of the abdomen using the CT apparatus, a plurality of medical images are generated. However, since one imaging is performed as an imaging unit, only one order information is generated.
The RIS 1 adds and manages an order ID (ID assigned to individual order information) to the generated order information. Then, the order information is transmitted to the control device 5.

  The image generation device 2 is an image generation device that captures a patient and generates medical image data. In this embodiment, the image generation apparatuses 2a to 2c of the types of CT apparatus, CR apparatus, and MRI apparatus are provided, but other types of modalities such as an endoscopic imaging apparatus and an ultrasonic imaging apparatus are applied. It is also possible.

  The image generation device 2 images the patient according to the order information distributed from the control device 5. Then, the generated medical image data is attached with patient information such as examination ID and patient ID, and examination information included in the order information to enable identification of the medical image, and then transmitted to the control device 5. Information can be added by writing information in the header area of the medical image. Note that the image generation device 2 transmits information related to the execution of imaging and generation of a medical image to the control device 5 together with the medical image.

The imaging apparatus 3 is a medical information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, and is used for performing an imaging operation on a medical image.
The imaging operation refers to an operation for confirming whether a medical image is generated according to the order information, an image quality operation for the medical image, an operation for correcting the order information, or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image inspection apparatus 3 includes a control unit 31, an operation unit 32, a display unit 33, a communication unit 34, a storage unit 35, an image memory 36, and the like.

  The control unit 31 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The control unit 31 reads the control program from the storage unit 35, performs various calculations in cooperation with the control program, and centrally controls the operations of the units 32-36.

The operation unit 32 includes a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, generates operation signals corresponding to these operations, and outputs them to the control unit 31.
The display unit 33 includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and displays various operation screens, medical images, and the like according to display control of the control unit 31.

The communication unit 34 includes a communication interface such as a network interface card, and communicates with an external device on the network N according to the communication control of the control unit 31.
The storage unit 35 includes a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.
The storage unit 35 stores various programs such as a control program executed by the control unit 31 as well as data necessary for executing the program.

The image memory 36 is composed of a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.
The image memory 36 stores medical image data generated by the image generation apparatus 2. Medical images are stored separately for those waiting for image detection for which image inspection operation has not yet been performed and those for which image inspection operation has been performed.

  The PACS 4 is configured to include a terminal device for a doctor to interpret the stored medical image, in addition to an image server that stores data of a medical image that has undergone an imaging operation in the imaging apparatus 3. . When the image interpretation request information is received from the terminal device, the medical image stored in the image server is distributed to the terminal device. By displaying the medical image distributed by the terminal device, the doctor can interpret the image.

The control device 5 comprehensively controls the flow of order information and the photographing of medical images.
The control device 5 distributes the order information distributed from the RIS 1 to the image generation device 2 specified by the order information and transmits it to the image inspection device 3. On the other hand, when the medical image data is received from the image generating apparatus 2, in addition to the patient information and the examination information included in the order information corresponding to the medical image, series information, detailed image information, and the like are generated and attached.

FIG. 3 shows an example of incidental information.
As shown in FIG. 3, the incidental information includes patient information T1, examination information T2, series information T3, and detailed image information T4. Here, the series information T3 refers to information about a series to which the medical image belongs when the medical images related to each other are handled as belonging to a series of series. For example, in a CT apparatus, since a tomogram over a certain range, such as from the chest to the abdomen, is taken, a plurality of medical images (tomographic images) in units of 100 to several thousand images are generated by one imaging. In such a case, each tomographic image obtained by the same imaging is handled as belonging to one series. The control device 5 generates information such as the examination site in the series as series information T3. A series number is assigned to each series, and the same series information T3 is attached to all medical images belonging to the same series. Information necessary for generating the series information T3 is acquired from the image generating device 2.

The detailed image information T4 is information related to a medical image. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, it is information such as allocation bits and image generation time when a medical image is generated. The control device 5 acquires these pieces of information from the image generation device 2 and generates detailed image information T4. Further, the control device 5 assigns an image number to the medical image in order information units or series units. The image number is a number indicating the generation order of medical images. For example, in the case of order information for capturing two images of the front of the chest with the CR device, the image numbers of the generated two medical images are assigned “1” and “2”, respectively, in the order of generation. In addition, when there are two pieces of order information for photographing one front of the chest and one side of the chest, the image number is “1”. On the other hand, for medical images belonging to a series, image numbers are assigned in the order of generation within the series.
Since the history information T5 is attached by the imaging device 3, details will be described later.

  Note that the image number and the series number are elements that determine the display order of the medical images when the medical images are displayed later. That is, when medical images are displayed on the image inspection device 3 or the terminal device of the PACS 4, the medical images are displayed in order of series number and image number.

  Each information T1 to T5 is given patient information LID, examination information LID, series information LID, detailed image information LID, and history information LID unique to each information. Patient information LID is included in examination information T2, and similarly, examination information LID in series information T3, patient information LID, examination information LID, series information LID in image detailed information T4, series information LID, and image detailed information LID in history information T5. By including, each information T1-T5 is matched.

Next, the operation will be described.
The overall processing flow of the medical image system 100 will be described.
The medical image system 100 is roughly divided into (1) order information generation, (2) imaging based on order information, generation of a medical image, (3) imaging processing for a medical image, and (4) transfer to PACS4. Go through.

(1) Generation of Order Information The RIS 1 generates order information in response to an order information registration operation. The RIS 1 attaches an order ID to the generated order information and transmits it to the control device 5.
(2) Imaging based on order information, generation of medical image The control device 5 refers to the order information and distributes the order information to the designated image generation device 2. In addition, the same order information is transmitted to the imaging device 3.
The image generation device 2 displays the patient name, the imaging region, and the like on the display unit based on the order information in order to show the imaging engineer the contents of the order information. Then, shooting is performed according to the shooting instruction operation. Thereafter, medical image data is generated and transmitted to the control device 5. The control device 5 attaches patient information, examination information, series information, and detailed image information included in the order information to the medical image and transfers them to the imaging device 3.

(3) Imaging processing for medical images The imaging device 3 performs various imaging processing according to the imaging operation of the examiner. The image inspection process will be described later.
(4) Transfer to PACS 4 The image inspection device 3 sequentially transfers the medical image data for which the image detection processing has been completed to the PACS 4. The PACS 4 stores the medical image. Then, a medical image is distributed in response to a request from a terminal device used by an interpreting doctor, and is used for interpretation and medical examination by a doctor.

Next, the image detection process in the image detection apparatus 3 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the image inspection process.
First, the control unit 31 reads a medical image stored in the image memory 36. And the process which checks the consistency with the additional information of the said medical image and the order information corresponding to the read medical image among the order information transmitted from the control apparatus 5 is performed (step S1). This is a process performed to confirm whether or not a medical image is generated according to the order information. Specifically, the order information, the patient information included in the accompanying information, and the examination information are collated, and if they match, it is determined that there is consistency, and if they do not match, it is determined that there is no consistency. The control unit 31 displays the result of this check on the display unit 33. For example, in the list of order information, a color that is not consistent is colored.

Next, image density adjustment processing is executed (step S2).
A medical image has an image density that is easy to interpret depending on an imaging region or the like. The control unit 31 refers to the supplementary information of the medical image, determines the imaging region, and then performs gradation conversion of the medical image using a gradation conversion table (lookup table) created in advance according to the imaging region. Do. Alternatively, the density adjustment of the medical image is performed in accordance with the adjustment operation of the density and contrast of the examiner.

Next, a process for changing the arrangement order of medical images is performed (step S3).
This is a process of changing an image number, a series number, and the like, which are sources for determining the arrangement order of medical images, in accordance with an operation for changing the display order of medical images. The control unit 31 generates image information before and after the change, information on the series number, and the like as history information T5 (see FIG. 3) indicating the change history, and attaches it to the medical image.

When the arrangement order is changed, an inspection range setting process is performed (step S4).
The image inspection range refers to a range of medical images used for interpretation by a doctor. For example, when imaging is performed with a CT apparatus as shown in FIG. 5, imaging is performed by adding a margin part to a designated part to ensure a medical image of a part necessary for interpretation. For this reason, not all medical images obtained from the imaging range (the range indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5) are required for interpretation. Therefore, for efficient interpretation, an operation for extracting a medical image in a range necessary for interpretation is necessary. In the detection range setting process, the control unit 31 selects the medical image specified from the series of medical images in accordance with the operation of specifying the medical image that is the start point and end point of the detection range by the examiner. Is determined as the start point and end point. Then, flag information indicating that the medical image is the start point or the end point of the imaging range is attached to the medical image (see detailed image information T4 in FIG. 3). Details of the process will be described later.

In addition, correction processing of information such as order information or supplementary information of medical images is executed (step S5). The information correction process is a process of rewriting the order information or incidental information for a medical image that is not consistent with the order information in step S2. The rewriting is performed by the control unit 31 in accordance with the correction operation of the examiner (for example, the input operation of the name after correction of the patient).
When all the above-described image inspection processes are completed, the control unit 31 performs a distribution process for transmitting the image data of the medical image that has already been imaged to the PACS 4 via the communication unit 34 (step S6).

Next, the setting process of the inspection range in step 4 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 31 reads out a medical image to be imaged from the image memory 36 (step S11). It should be noted that the medical image to be imaged is read out as the image selected as the object to be imaged on the image waiting list screen d1 shown in FIG. The examination waiting list screen d1 shows a list of order information of medical images that have not undergone examination processing. As shown in FIG. 7, in the waiting list for imaging d1, a list area d11 that displays a list of order information, a thumbnail area d12 that displays thumbnail images of medical images corresponding to the order information selected in the list area d11, A search area d13 for searching for desired order information from the order information displayed in the list area d11 is provided.

In the list area d11, as shown in FIG. 7, among the order information received from the control device 3, the order information of the medical image that has not been subjected to the image inspection process is displayed. Based on the order information, the control unit 31 displays information such as the order information reception date and time, examination ID, patient ID, patient name, modality, imaging method, imaging region, imaging direction, and the like.
Note that the processing result of the consistency check process described above may be displayed here. For example, for the order information determined to be inconsistent, the order information is given a red color in the list area d11. By displaying the information in such a manner that it can be distinguished from other order information that is consistent, the examiner can easily determine the order information that is determined to be inconsistent.

In the thumbnail area d12, the control unit 31 displays the thumbnail images g in the order of the image numbers attached to the medical images. Since the image numbers are issued in the order in which they are generated in the image generation apparatus 2, the arrangement order of the thumbnail images g matches the generation order of the medical images. The thumbnail image g is used by the examiner to check the medical image and change the arrangement order of the medical images.
In addition, as a method for displaying the thumbnail image g, the control unit 31 provides a display switching menu k1 for switching whether to display for each series unit in the thumbnail area d12.

  In the search area d13, the control unit 31 provides an input area for inputting the examination ID, patient ID, and the like of desired order information as a search keyword. At the time of retrieval, the control unit 31 retrieves order information having supplementary information that matches the information input in this input area. The retrieved order information is given a blue color in the list area d11.

Here, it is assumed that the order information on which a series of medical images is taken is selected on the waiting list screen d1, and medical images belonging to the series are read out.
Next, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the number of read medical images exceeds the threshold value x (step S12). The threshold value x is the number of medical images that can be displayed at a time when medical images are displayed side by side. When the threshold value x is not exceeded (step S12; N), the control unit 31 displays the read medical images side by side on the image display screen (step S13). Note that the control unit 31 generates a thumbnail image of the medical image, and displays the medical image using the thumbnail image. After the display, this process ends.

  On the other hand, when the threshold value x is exceeded (step S12; Y), the control unit 31 extracts x medical images from the beginning and end of the image number in the order of the image number, out of the read medical images. The control unit 31 displays the medical images extracted in order from the top and the medical images extracted in order from the end side by side on the image display screen (step S14). The medical image is displayed as a thumbnail image in the same manner as described above.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the image display screen.
As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 31 provides display areas d21 to d23 for each series on the image display screen d2, and displays thumbnail images of medical images belonging to the series in the display areas d21 to d23. Note that the maximum number of thumbnail images that can be displayed side by side in the display areas d21 to d23 is determined in advance, and the maximum number is indicated by x. That is, in step S14, medical images are extracted from the top and the end by the number x that can be displayed at maximum in the display areas d21 to d23.

An example of x = 14 is shown in the image display screen d2.
When displaying a number of medical images equal to or less than the threshold value x, as shown in the display areas d21 and d23, thumbnail images of all the medical images for one series are displayed side by side in the display area d21 or d23.

On the other hand, the display area d22 is an example in which the number of medical images exceeding the threshold value x is displayed.
When the threshold value x is exceeded, the head of the series, that is, the medical image with the image number x is extracted from the medical image with the image number 1 in ascending order. Further, the end of the series, that is, the medical image having the image number (nx) is extracted in descending order from the medical image having the image number n. Then, the display area d22 is divided into two upper and lower lines, and the thumbnail images of the medical images extracted from the top x are displayed in the upper row, and the thumbnail images of the medical images extracted x from the end are displayed in the lower row.

  By this display, the image examiner can simultaneously view the beginning and end portions of the medical images belonging to the series when designating the medical image that is the start point and end point of the image detection range. Then, the medical image that should be the start point of the imaging range is designated from the displayed head portion, and the medical image that should be the end point of the imaging range is designated from the displayed tail portion.

  Note that when x images from the beginning and the end do not include a medical image that is an imaging range, the number of medical images to be displayed can be increased. At this time, the image examiner may perform an enlargement operation of the display area d22. In the enlargement operation, the end of the display area d22 is dragged by a mouse operation, and the drop operation is performed at a position that becomes a desired enlargement range. Alternatively, an enlargement operation may be possible with a mouse wheel.

  When an enlargement operation is performed via the operation unit 32 (step S15; Y), the control unit 31 additionally displays a medical image in the display area d22. Assuming that the number of lines that can be displayed by the enlargement operation is y with respect to the maximum number x of thumbnail images that can be displayed in one line, the control unit 31 sets xy / 2 sheets from the beginning and the end of the medical images belonging to the series. Extract a medical image. Then, the display area d22 is enlarged to a specified position, and xy / 2 medical images extracted from the top and xy / 2 medical images extracted from the end are displayed side by side in the display area d22. (Step S16). Thereby, a medical image is additionally displayed for the enlarged area.

FIG. 9 shows an example additionally displayed.
FIG. 9 shows an example in which medical images extracted from the beginning and the end with x = 14 and y = 10 are displayed in the enlarged display area d22. The medical images extracted from the beginning and the end are each displayed as 14 thumbnail images × 5 lines. That is, the medical image is additionally displayed evenly from the beginning and the end by the enlargement operation.

  Here, when a medical image serving as the start point and end point of the image detection range is selected and operated by the thumbnail image by the thumbnail image (step S17; Y), the control unit 31 determines that it is the start point or end point of the image detection range. Flag information is generated and attached to each selected medical image (step S18). Thereafter, this process is terminated.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when displaying a plurality of medical images belonging to a series, when the threshold value x is exceeded, a predetermined number x is extracted from the head or the tail of the image number of the medical image, and the head The x medical images extracted from the above and the x medical images extracted from the end are displayed side by side in the same display area. When setting the imaging range, the medical image is browsed in order from the beginning and end of the image number to determine the starting point and end point of the imaging range, so that the imager can display the beginning and end of the medical image by the above display. It is possible to browse at the same time, and it is easy to specify the start point and end point of the imaging range. Thereby, the image inspection operation becomes efficient.

  In addition, the display area is enlarged according to the display area enlargement operation, and the number of medical images to be extracted is increased. That is, xy medical images are extracted from the beginning or end of the image number of the medical image according to the enlarged region y, and xy medical images extracted from the beginning and xy medical images extracted from the end are obtained. Display them side by side in the same display area. As a result, the number of medical images to be displayed can be increased by (xy−x) according to the enlargement range and additionally displayed.

  If there is no medical image that should be the start point or end point of the imaging range in the x images displayed first, the image examiner can display the medical image to be browsed by a simple operation such as an enlargement operation of the display area. The number can be further increased from x to xy. Equal numbers are extracted and displayed from the beginning or end of the medical image, so it is easy to grasp the order of the image number from the beginning or end, and the imaging range can be determined while taking into account the proportion of the entire medical image belonging to the series. It becomes possible to set.

  In addition, since the same number of medical images are extracted and displayed from the beginning and end, the examiner specifies the start point and end point of the image detection range so that the currently displayed medical image is the entire medical image of the series. It is possible to grasp which position is from the beginning or the end. This facilitates determination of the imaging range.

It is a figure which shows the system configuration | structure of a medical image system. It is a figure which shows the functional structure of the imaging device which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the incidental information of a medical image. It is a figure explaining the flow of the image detection process in an image detection apparatus. It is a figure which shows the imaging | photography range and the image examination range used for interpretation. It is a figure explaining the flow of the setting process of the detection range in an image detection apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of an imaging waiting list screen. It is a figure which shows the example which arranged and displayed the medical image extracted for every predetermined number from the head and the tail of the medical image which belongs to a series. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the medical image additionally displayed by expansion operation of the display area. It is an example of a display of the medical image which belongs to the conventional series.

Explanation of symbols

100 Medical Imaging System 1 RIS
2 Image generation device 3 Image detection device 31 Control unit 32 Operation unit 33 Display unit 34 Communication unit 35 Storage unit 36 Image memory 4 PACS
5 Control device

Claims (3)

Display means for displaying an image;
Extract a predetermined number of medical images in order from the first and last image numbers from among the medical images belonging to a series and assigned image numbers in the series. Display control means for displaying medical images extracted in order from the display means on the display means;
An operation means for designating and operating a medical image corresponding to a start point and an end point of a range of a medical image used for interpretation from among the displayed medical images;
Ancillary control means for attaching information indicating the start point or end point of the range to the medical image of the start point and end point specified via the operation means;
A medical information processing apparatus comprising:   The display control means increases the number of medical images extracted from the head or tail according to the enlargement range when the display area of the medical image extracted from the head and the tail is operated through the operation means. The medical information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an increased number of medical images are displayed in addition to the displayed medical image extracted from the head or tail.   The medical information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit sets the same number of medical images to be extracted from the head and the tail.