USER INTERFACE FOR A MEDICAL INFORMATICS SYSTEM

• US 20020109735A1
• Filed: 11/24/1999
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Original Assignee: Stentor, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Chang, Paul Joseph, Hebert, Bradford V., McCurtain, Benjamin J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,734,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/853
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/563 involving image data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A user interface for a medical informatics system, which permits a physician to work with digitized medical images in a manner that the physician is accustomed to working with traditional analog film, is disclosed. The user interface includes a through a patient browser view to provide the ability to select studies, which consist of medical images and series, for patients. After selecting the studies, the user, through a patient canvas view, may then organize the studies as well as the images/series within the studies, including resizing the studies and the images/series within a study. The user may also pan and zoom images to view portions of an image at various resolutions. Furthermore, the user of the user interface may analyze the image by selecting to view the image in detail in a large floating window.

Claims

1. A method for viewing medical images in a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving in a computer at least one study, wherein said study comprises an identification to a plurality of medical images for a patient;

displaying, on an output display of said computer, a first arrangement of said medical images for said study including displaying a first view of said medical images, wherein a view comprises display of at least a portion of a medical images at a specified resolution;

providing through said computer a means to organize said first arrangement of said medical images for said study to generate a second arrangement of said medical images;

providing through said computer a means to select a second view of said medical images, wherein said second view comprises a view different than said first view; and

displaying on an output display of said computer said second view of said medical image in said second arrangement.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing through said computer a means to select said at least one study of a patient.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of selecting at least one study of a patient comprises the step of displaying a patient browser view, said patient browser view providing a means to select at least one patient and at least one study for said patient.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the step of receiving at least one study comprises the step of receiving a plurality of studies for a single patient; and

the step of providing to a user a means to organize said first arrangement into a second arrangement comprises the step of providing to a user a means to re-arrange an order of display for said studies.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the step of receiving at least one study comprises the step of receiving a plurality of studies for a single patient; and

the step of providing to a user a means to organize said first arrangement into a second arrangement comprises the step of providing to a user a means to scroll among said medical images of said studies.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of providing to a user a means to organize said first arrangement into a second arrangement comprises the step of providing to a user a means to re-arrange an order of display for said medical images within said study.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of providing a means to select a second view of said medical images comprises the step of providing to a user a means to resize said medical images.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of providing to a user a means to resize said medical images further comprises the step of maintaining an aspect ratio between height and width of said medical image.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of providing a means to select a second view of said medical images comprises the step of providing to a user a means to pan a medical image such that said second view comprises a display of a different portion of said medical images than said first view.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of providing a means to select a second view of said medical images comprises the step of providing to a user a means to zoom in on a portion of a medical image such that said second view comprises a resolution different from said first view.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of providing to a user a means to organize said first arrangement into a second arrangement comprises the step of providing to a user a means to scroll said medical images within a study.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of

receiving at least two series;

and

linking said two series so as to provide simultaneous cine.

13. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying, in response to user selection, a report associated with said study.

16. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the step of providing through said computer a means to select said at least one study of a patient.

17. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 16, wherein the step of selecting at least one study of a patient comprises the step of displaying a patient browser view, said patient browser view providing a means to select at least one patient and at least one study for said patient.

18. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

the step of receiving at least one study comprises the step of receiving a plurality of studies for a single patient; and

the step of providing to a user a means to organize said first arrangement into a second arrangement comprises the step of providing to a user a means to re-arrange an order of display for said studies.

19. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

the step of receiving at least one study comprises the step of receiving a plurality of studies for a single patient; and

the step of providing to a user a means to organize said first arrangement into a second arrangement comprises the step of providing to a user a means to scroll among said medical images of said studies.

20. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein the step of providing to a user a means to organize said first arrangement into a second arrangement comprises the step of providing to a user a means to rearrange an order of display for said medical images within said study.

21. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein the step of providing a means to select a second view of said medical images comprises the step of providing to a user a means to resize said medical images.

22. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 21, wherein the step of providing to a user a means to resize said medical images further comprises the step of maintaining an aspect ratio between height and width of said medical image.

23. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein the step of providing a means to select a second view of said medical images comprises the step of providing to a user a means to pan a medical image such that said second view comprises a display of a different portion of said medical images than said first view.

24. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein the step of providing a means to select a second view of said medical images comprises the step of providing to a user a means to zoom in on a portion of a medical image such that said second view comprises a resolution different from said first view.

25. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, wherein the step of providing to a user a means to organize said first arrangement into a second arrangement comprises the step of providing to a user a means to scroll said medical images within a study.

26. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving at least two series; and

linking said two series so as to provide simultaneous cine.

27. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the step of displaying, in response to user selection, a report associated with said study.

14. A method for viewing and navigating a medical image on a computer, said method comprising the steps of:

storing a dynamic medical image so as to define data to reconstruct a plurality of portions of said medical image at a plurality of resolutions, and to reconstruct said portions of said medical image at a plurality of resolutions;

displaying at least one medical image on an output display at a first view, wherein a view comprises display of at least a portion of said medical image at a specified resolution;

receiving user input that designates a second view for said medical image, wherein said second view comprises a view different from said first view;

reconstructing, at said computer, said second view for said medical image; and

displaying said second view on said output display.

15. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

receiving in a computer at least one study, wherein said study comprises an identification to a plurality of medical images for a patient;

displaying, on an output display of said computer, a first arrangement of said medical images for said study including displaying a first view of said medical images, wherein a view comprises display of at least a portion of a medical images at a specified resolution;

providing through said computer a means to organize said first arrangement of said medical images for said study to generate a second arrangement of said medical images;

providing through said computer a means to select a second view of said medical images, wherein said second view comprises a view different than said first view; and

displaying on an output display of said computer said second view of said medical image in said second arrangement.

28. A computer system comprising:

input device for receiving at least one study, wherein said study comprises an identification to a plurality of medical images for a patient;

output display for displaying a first arrangement of said medical images for said study including displaying a first view of said medical images, wherein a view comprises display of at least a portion of a medical images at a specified resolution;

input control device for receiving user input;

processing unit, coupled to said input control device, for providing a means to organize said first arrangement of said medical images for said study to generate a second arrangement of said medical images, for providing a means to select a second view of said medical images, wherein said second view comprises a view different than said first view; and

wherein said output display for displaying said second view of said medical image in said second arrangement.