Information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, program, and recording medium

Abstract

The present invention provides an information processing apparatus capable of selecting a region of cancer cells in any tissue sample image and easily and accurately counting the number of the cancer cells. The information processing apparatus is an information processing apparatus 100 including: an acquisition unit 110 for acquiring image data obtained by reading a tissue sample image 150 obtained by putting a mark 151 specifying a selected area 152 on an image obtained by immunostaining and then imaging a biological tissue; and a counting unit 120 for counting the number of cancer cells in the selected area 152 specified by the mark 151 based on the image data of the tissue sample image 150 acquired by the acquisition unit 110, wherein a diagnosis based on the tissue sample image 150 is supported.

1 . An information processing apparatus comprising:
 an acquisition unit for acquiring image data obtained by reading a tissue sample image obtained by putting a mark specifying a selected area on an image obtained by immunostaining and then imaging a biological tissue; and   a counting unit for counting the number of cancer cells in the selected area specified by the mark based on the image data of the tissue sample image acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein   a diagnosis based on the tissue sample image is supported.   
     
     
         2 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the selected area is a focus area of stained positive cells, and   the mark is for separating the focus area from the other area.   
     
     
         3 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the mark is a closed curve drawn by a user so as to enclose the focus area.   
     
     
         4 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the image data is obtained by reading the tissue sample image from a slide with the mark put thereon.   
     
     
         5 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 image data obtained by further superimposing a mark specifying a selected area on the tissue sample image is acquired by the acquisition unit.   
     
     
         6 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the image data of the tissue sample image includes a plurality of marks.   
     
     
         7 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the number of the stained positive cells with each staining intensity in the selected area specified by the mark in the tissue sample image acquired by the acquisition unit is counted by the counting unit.   
     
     
         8 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the counting unit comprises:
 a dividing unit for dividing the focus area of the stained positive cells indicated by the mark into a plurality of small areas; and 
 a small area selection unit for selecting a small area from the plurality of small areas, and 
   the number of cells with each staining intensity, contained in a small area selected by the small area selection unit is counted.   
     
     
         9 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the counting unit further comprises:
 a display unit for displaying the plurality of small areas into which the focus area of the stained positive cells is divided by the dividing unit; and 
 an accepting unit for accepting a selection instruction of selecting a small area contained in the plurality of small areas displayed by the display unit from a user, and 
   the number of cells with each staining intensity, contained in the small area specified by the selection instruction is counted.   
     
     
         10 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mark position storage unit for storing a position of the mark in the tissue sample image, wherein   the selected area specified by the mark is applied to another tissue sample image obtained by staining the biological tissue by another method and then imaging.   
     
     
         11 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a reading unit for reading the tissue sample image; and   a display unit for displaying, in a diagnosable format, the number of cancer cells counted in the selected area specified by the mark by the counting unit.   
     
     
         12 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a receiving unit for receiving, via a network, the tissue sample image with a mark specifying the selected area put thereon or the image data obtained by reading the tissue sample image; and   a sending unit for sending, via a network, a count value obtained by counting the number of cancer cells with each staining intensity in the selected area specified by the mark of the tissue sample image received by the receiving unit.   
     
     
         13 . An information processing system comprising:
 the information processing apparatus according to  claim 12 ;   an input terminal; and   a display terminal, wherein   the image data received by the receiving unit is input and sent via a network by the input terminal, and   the number of cancer cells counted in the selected area specified by the mark by the counting unit is received via a network and displayed by the display terminal.   
     
     
         14 . An information processing method using the information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 an acquiring step of acquiring, by the acquisition unit, image data obtained by reading a tissue sample image with a mark specifying a selected area; and   a counting step of counting, by the counting unit, the number of cancer cells in the selected area specified by the mark based on the image data of the tissue sample image acquired by the acquiring step.   
     
     
         15 . An information processing method using the information processing apparatus according to  claim 10 , the method comprising:
 an acquiring step of acquiring, by the acquisition unit, image data obtained by reading a tissue sample image with a mark specifying a selected area,
 a counting step of counting, by the counting unit, the number of cancer cells in the selected area specified by the mark based on the image data of the tissue sample image acquired by the acquiring step, 
 a mark position storing step of storing a position of the mark in the tissue sample image by the mark position storage unit, and 
   the selected area specified by the mark is applied to another tissue sample image obtained by staining the biological tissue by another method and then imaging.   
     
     
         16 . An information processing method using the information processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , the method comprising:
 an acquiring step of acquiring, by the acquisition unit, image data obtained by reading a tissue sample image with a mark specifying a selected area,
 a counting step of counting, by the counting unit, the number of cancer cells in the selected area specified by the mark based on the image data of the tissue sample image acquired by the acquiring step, 
 a reading step of reading the tissue sample image by the reading unit; and 
 a displaying step of displaying, in a diagnosable format by the display unit, the number of cancer cells counted in the selected area specified by the mark by the counting unit. 
   
     
     
         17 . An information processing method using the information processing apparatus according to  claim 12 , the method comprising:
 an acquiring step of acquiring, by the acquisition unit, image data obtained by reading a tissue sample image with a mark specifying a selected area,
 a counting step of counting, by the counting unit, the number of cancer cells in the selected area specified by the mark based on the image data of the tissue sample image acquired by the acquiring step, 
 a receiving step for receiving the tissue sample image or the image data by the receiving unit via a network; and 
 a sending step of sending the count value by the sending unit via a network. 
   
     
     
         18 . An information processing method using the information processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , the method comprising:
 an acquiring step of acquiring, by the acquisition unit, image data obtained by reading a tissue sample image with a mark specifying a selected area,
 a counting step of counting, by the counting unit, the number of cancer cells in the selected area specified by the mark based on the image data of the tissue sample image acquired by the acquiring step, 
 a receiving step for receiving the tissue sample image or the image data by the receiving unit via a network, 
 a sending step of sending the count value by the sending unit via a network, 
 an inputting and sending step of, by the input terminal, inputting and sending, via a network, the image data received by the receiving unit; and 
 a receiving and displaying step of, by the display terminal, receiving via a network and displaying the number of cancer cells counted in the selected area specified by the mark by the counting unit. 
   
     
     
         19 . A program capable of executing the information processing method according to  claim 14  on a computer. 
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable recording medium comprising: the program according to  claim 19 .