Three-dimensional pictograms for use with medical images

• US 20040122310A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Lim, Richard Y.
• Granted Patent: US 6,991,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/426
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0816 using echo-encephalography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/465 adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/916 Ultrasound 3-D imaging

Abstract

The preferred embodiments described herein relate to three-dimensional pictograms and indicators for use with medical images. In one embodiment, a three-dimensional pictogram representing anatomy shown in a medical image is displayed along with a marker that represents a medical instrument used to create the medical image. A user can adjust an orientation of the marker with respect to the three-dimensional pictogram. In another embodiment, a set of three-dimensional pictograms of anatomy is displayed. A user can select one of the three-dimensional pictograms for display near a medical image and rotate the three-dimensional pictogram. In another embodiment, a saved three-dimensional pictogram is retrieved, and a user can rotate the three-dimensional pictogram starting from the orientation shown in the retrieved pictogram. In yet another embodiment, a three-dimensional pictogram is used as an indicator for a three-dimensional medical image. Other embodiments are provided, and each of the embodiments described herein can be used alone or in combination with one another.

Claims

1. A method for labeling a medical image with a three-dimensional pictogram, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a medical image;

(b) displaying a three-dimensional pictogram representing anatomy shown in the medical image;

(c) displaying a marker near the three-dimensional pictogram, the marker representing a medical instrument used to create the medical image; and

(d) adjusting an orientation of the marker with respect to the three-dimensional pictogram.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the marker is manipulatable with three rotation degrees of freedom around the three-dimensional pictogram.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising rotating the three-dimensional pictogram

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the three-dimensional pictogram is rotatable with three degrees of freedom.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, before (b), displaying a set of three-dimensional pictograms for user selection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of three-dimensional pictograms is determined based on study type.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) hiding the three-dimensional pictogram and marker.

8. A method for labeling a medical image with a three-dimensional pictogram, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a set of three-dimensional pictograms of anatomy;

(b) receiving a user selection of a three-dimensional pictogram from the displayed set;

(c) displaying a medical image;

(d) displaying the selected three-dimensional pictogram near the medical image; and

(e) rotating the three-dimensional pictogram.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of three-dimensional pictograms is determined based on study type.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected three-dimensional pictogram is rotatable with three degrees of freedom.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

(f) displaying a marker near the selected three-dimensional pictogram, the marker representing a medical instrument used to create the medical image.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

(g) adjusting an orientation of the marker.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

(f) hiding the selected three-dimensional pictogram.

14. A method for labeling a medical image with a three-dimensional pictogram, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a medical image;

(b) displaying a three-dimensional pictogram representing anatomy shown in the medical image;

(c) rotating the three-dimensional pictogram to a first orientation;

(d) saving the medical image and three-dimensional pictogram;

(e) retrieving the saved medical image and three-dimensional pictogram; and

(f) rotating the three-dimensional pictogram, the rotation starting from the first orientation.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, before (f), creating a copy of the saved medical image and three-dimensional pictogram, and wherein (f) comprises rotating the three-dimensional pictogram on the copy.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing the saved medical image and three-dimensional pictogram to a workstation, and wherein (f) is performed on the workstation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the saved medical image and three-dimensional pictogram are provided to the workstation via a network.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the saved medical image and three-dimensional pictogram are provided to the workstation via a removable media device.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising, before (d), displaying a marker near the three-dimensional pictogram and adjusting an orientation of the marker to a second orientation, the marker representing a medical instrument used to create the medical image, wherein the marker is saved with the medical image and three-dimensional pictogram, and wherein the method further comprises retrieving the saved marker with the saved medical image and three-dimensional pictogram and adjusting the marker, the adjustment starting from the second orientation.

20. A method for labeling a medical image with a three-dimensional pictogram, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a three-dimensional medical image;

(b) displaying a graphically-rendered three-dimensional pictogram representing anatomy shown in the three-dimensional medical image;

(c) receiving from a user a slicing plane through the three-dimensional medical image;

(d) displaying a medical image in accordance with the user-selected slicing plane; and

(e) displaying a portion of the three-dimensional pictogram as a wire frame instead of a graphically-rendered representation of the anatomy, the wire frame portion corresponding to a sliced-off portion of the three-dimensional medical image.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising, before (a), displaying a set of three-dimensional pictograms for user selection.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the set of three-dimensional pictograms is determined based on study type.

23. A system for labeling a medical image with a three-dimensional pictogram, the system comprising computer-usable media storing:

computer-readable program code for displaying a medical image;

computer-readable program code for displaying a three-dimensional pictogram representing anatomy shown in the medical image;

computer-readable program code for displaying a marker near the three-dimensional pictogram, the marker representing a medical instrument used to create the medical image; and

computer-readable program code for adjusting an orientation of the marker with respect to the three-dimensional pictogram.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the marker is manipulatable with three rotation degrees of freedom around the three-dimensional pictogram.

25. The system of claim 23 further comprising computer-readable program code for rotating the three-dimensional pictogram

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the three-dimensional pictogram is rotatable with three degrees of freedom.

27. A system for labeling a medical image with a three-dimensional pictogram, the system comprising computer-usable media storing:

computer-readable program code for displaying a set of three-dimensional pictograms of anatomy;

computer-readable program code for receiving a user selection of a three-dimensional pictogram from the displayed set;

computer-readable program code for displaying a medical image;

computer-readable program code for displaying the selected three-dimensional pictogram near the medical image; and

computer-readable program code for rotating the three-dimensional pictogram.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the set of three-dimensional pictograms is determined based on study type.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the selected three-dimensional pictogram is rotatable with three degrees of freedom.

30. A system for labeling a medical image with a three-dimensional pictogram, the system comprising computer-usable media storing:

computer-readable program code for displaying a medical image;

computer-readable program code for displaying a three-dimensional pictogram representing anatomy shown in the medical image;

computer-readable program code for rotating the three-dimensional pictogram to a first orientation;

computer-readable program code for saving the medical image and three-dimensional pictogram;

computer-readable program code for retrieving the saved medical image and three-dimensional pictogram; and

computer-readable program code for rotating the three-dimensional pictogram, the rotation starting from the first orientation.

31. The system of claim 30 further comprising computer-readable program code for creating a copy of the saved medical image and three-dimensional pictogram, wherein the three-dimensional pictogram is rotated on the copy.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the computer-readable program code for rotating the three-dimensional pictogram from the first orientation is stored on a workstation.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the computer-readable program code for rotating the three-dimensional pictogram from the first orientation is stored on a medical diagnostic imaging system.

34. A system for labeling a medical image with a three-dimensional pictogram, the system comprising computer-usable media storing:

computer-readable program code for displaying a three-dimensional medical image;

computer-readable program code for displaying a graphically-rendered three-dimensional pictogram representing anatomy shown in the three-dimensional medical image;

computer-readable program code for receiving from a user a slicing plane through the three-dimensional medical image;

computer-readable program code for displaying a medical image in accordance with the user-selected slicing plane; and

computer-readable program code for displaying a portion of the three-dimensional pictogram as a wire frame instead of a graphically-rendered representation of the anatomy, the wire frame portion corresponding to a sliced-off portion of the three-dimensional medical image.

35. The system of claim 34 further comprising computer-readable program code for displaying a set of three-dimensional pictograms for user selection.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the set of three-dimensional pictograms is determined based on study type.