Flexible integration of software applications in a network environment

• US 20050025349A1
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Europe BV (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Europe BV (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Crewe, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US10/630,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20050025349A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

A software application for integration into a picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) network is described. The software application is provided as a single software component using model-view-controller software architecture. The software component'"'"'s interface is used to expose predominantly only functional parts of a stand-alone version of the software application to a system integrator. The interface provides a set of user interface control parameters and a set of data handling parameters. These allow a PACS network provider to integrate the software application easily by generating a suitable graphical user interface for the application which can be configured to match the “look and feel” desired by the network provider. This can be done in a way which does not require the PACS network provider to have a deep understanding of the technical functioning of the software application.

Claims

1. A software component containing a medical-imaging visualization application, the software component operable to function as a model component in a model-view-controller software architecture, and having an interface having a set of user interface control parameters and a set of data handling parameters, the sets of parameters being chosen to allow flexible integration of the visualization application into a proprietary Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) network.

2. A software component according to claim 1, wherein the data handling parameters are Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format data handling parameters.

3. A software component according to claim 1, wherein the software component is a sub-component of a pre-existing data visualization application.

4. A software component according to claim 3, wherein the software component includes a software wrapper, the software wrapper being configured to map the sets of parameters of the interface to parameters appropriate for the sub-component.

5. A software component according to claim 1, wherein the user input parameters include any of:

two-dimensional (2D) tool parameters, three-dimensional (3D) tool parameters, sculpting parameters, display decoration parameters, preset parameters, region of interest select parameters, volume rendering parameters and image display parameters.

6. A PACS network including a software component containing a medical-imaging visualization application, the software component operable to function as a model component in a model-view-controller software architecture, and having an interface having a set of user interface control parameters and a set of data handling parameters, the sets of parameters being chosen to allow flexible integration of the visualization application into the PACS network.

7. A PACS network according to claim 6, wherein the data handling parameters are DICOM format data handling parameters.

8. A PACS network according to claim 6, the PACS network including a specific glue bridge software component, the specific glue bridge being operable to accommodate non-standard aspects of the PACS network.

9. A PACS network according to claim 8, wherein the non-standard aspects of the PACS network include a non-standard data format.

10. A PACS network according to claim 9, wherein the non-standard data format is a compressed data format.

11. A PACS network according to claim 8, wherein the non-standard aspects of the PACS network include non-standard data handling.

12. A PACS network according to claim 11, wherein the non-standard data handling relates to proprietary grouping of data.

13. A PACS network according to claim 6, the PACS network including a dispatcher software component, the dispatcher being operable to link multiple software components corresponding to multiple software applications to the PACS network via a common interface.

14. A method of offering a medical-imaging data visualization application to a PACS network integrator, the method comprising:

providing a first version of the application contained in a high-level software component;

providing a second version of the application contained in a plurality of lower-level software components; and

allowing the integrator to decide between use of the different versions for integrating the application into a PACS network.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the high-level software component is operable to function as a model component in a model-view-controller software architecture, and has an interface having a set of user interface control parameters and a set of data handling parameters.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the data handling parameters are DICOM format data handling parameters.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein at least a subset of the lower-level software components relate to underlying technical functions of the application.

18. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

providing a third version of the application contained in a plurality of intermediate-level software components.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

providing at least a fourth version of the application contained in a plurality of software components of a different level.