System and method for efficient diagnostic analysis of ophthalmic examinations

• US 20060025670A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anka Systems, Inc. (Topcon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Anka Systems, Inc. (Topcon Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Ken, Kim, Young, Chaudhri, Imran Noor
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/10 Eye inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A digital medical diagnostic system according to the present invention enables ophthalmologists to view patient and other images remotely to diagnose various conditions. The system includes at least one modality, one or more viewing stations, and an image server. The modality generates patient images associated with examinations, while the image server retrieves and processes information from the modalities. The image server may accommodate modalities utilizing different interfaces and/or formats. The viewing stations enable remote access to the images via a network (e.g., Internet), where the image server provides the interface for a user in the form of screens or web pages for security and viewing of information. The system enables an ophthalmologist or other medical personnel to view and/or manipulate one or more images to enhance diagnosis of patient examinations.

Claims

1. A system enabling remote access of medical images generated by image capture stations over a network comprising:

a processing system to retrieve at least one image from an image capture station for transmission over said network, said processing system including;

a station interface module to retrieve medical images from said image capture stations, wherein each type of image capture station includes a different station interface and said station interface module includes a plurality of station interfaces to interface different image capture stations;

a storage system to store said retrieved images and associated information;

a user interface module to generate a user interface for display and manipulation of said retrieved medical images; and

a communication module to facilitate communications over said network to enable said medical image retrieval and remote access to said retrieved medical images.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said medical images include ophthalmic images.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said station interface module automatically retrieves said medical images from a capture station in response to conditions indicating generation of new medical images at that capture station.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing system further includes:

a code generation module to generate a specific code for each medical image based on data within that image;

wherein said storage system includes;

a database to store said code associated with each medical image; and

a file system to store said retrieved medical images.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said processing system further includes:

a change detection module to detect changes in medical images subsequent storage in said file system based on a change in said associated code.

6. The system of claim 4 further including at least one viewing station coupled to said processing system via said network, wherein each viewing station includes:

a viewing interface module to display said user interface from said processing system including retrieved medical images; and

a validation module to regenerate a code for said retrieved medical image of said user interface and compare said regenerated code to said code for that image stored in said database, wherein said viewing interface module displays retrieved medical images in response to validation by said validation module.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said file system stores said retrieved medical images and compressed versions of those medical images, and said processing system further includes:

an archive system to selectively perform storage back-up operations for said information within said storage system, wherein said back-up operations include storing at least one of;

said codes within said database;

said codes and said compressed versions of said medical images; and

said codes, said medical images and said compressed versions of said medical images.

8. The system of claim 1 further including:

a redundant processing system to assume functions of said processing system in response to a failure of said processing system, wherein said redundant processing system stores information from said processing system and lags said processing system with respect to said stored information by a predetermined interval.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing system further includes:

a monitor module to detect various conditions of said system and report said conditions to a remote system operations center without requiring a private network connection to the remote operations center.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface module further includes:

a security module to control access to said medical images, wherein said security module includes;

a track module to store information pertaining to user sessions including at least one of users accessing said system, time of access and patients accessed by said user;

a termination module to terminate a user session in response to predetermined conditions; and

an access module to control information accessed by said user, wherein said access is at least one of unlimited, limited to medical examination information associated with said user and limited to test case information without demographic data.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein said network includes the Internet and said viewing interface module includes a browser.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said browser includes image manipulation controls to enable a user to manipulate medical images displayed on a viewing station.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said browser includes image measurement controls to enable a user to measure areas within said medical images displayed on a viewing station.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said user interface module includes:

a measurement selection module to enable a user to select image resolution prior to performing measurement of said areas.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said user interface module includes:

a settings module to maintain display settings during display of said medical images by said user on a viewing station.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface module includes:

a comparison module to generate a user interface for displaying a plurality of medical images for comparison of those images by a user.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface module includes:

a verification module to enable a user to verify a medical image retrieved from said capture station and to indicate a verification status of said retrieved medical images.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said verification module includes:

an update module to indicate a status of a medical image as unverified in response to modifications to that image.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface module includes:

a review module to enable a user in the form of a medical practitioner to review a medical image retrieved from said capture station and to indicate a review status of said retrieved medical images.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said review module includes:

an update module to indicate that a medical image lacks review in response to modifications to that image.

21. The system of claim 1 further including at least one viewing station coupled to said processing system via said network, wherein said processing system further includes:

a cache module to transfer medical images from said storage system to locations local to said at least one viewing station prior to requests for those images from said at least one viewing station.

22. The system of claim 21 further including a plurality of gateway units each disposed at a different site remote from said processing system, wherein each gateway unit is coupled to said processing system and a corresponding capture station and includes:

a retrieval module to receive medical images from a corresponding capture station;

a compression module to generate compressed versions of said retrieved medical images;

a cache memory to store said retrieved medical images and said compressed images; and

a transfer module to transfer said stored images to said processing system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said transfer module includes:

a scheduling module to transfer said compressed images to said processing system prior to transference of said uncompressed medical images.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said scheduling module transfers uncompressed medical images at times of low utilization of said network.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein at least one viewing station includes a cache memory and said cache module transfers medical images from said storage system to at least one of said viewing station cache memory and said gateway unit cache memory.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said user interface module further includes:

a location module to determine a location of a user accessing said system; and

an image module to direct retrieval of a requested image from a location in accordance with said user location and a storage location of said requested image, wherein said location includes one of a cache memory of a viewing station of said user, a cache memory of a gateway unit local to said user and said storage system.

27. The system of claim 1 further including:

a medical information system to maintain information associated with patients, wherein said medical information system is coupled to said processing system via said network to access said medical images.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said network includes the Internet and said medical information system accesses said processing system via a call to an Internet address of said processing system, and wherein said call includes parameters to access desired information.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said medical information system accesses said processing system via networking protocols to transfer information with said processing system, and said processing system includes:

a verification module to verify patient information received from said medical information system with information associated with said medical images and to identify medical images associated with information inconsistent with said information from said medical information system.

30. A method of enabling remote access over a network of medical images generated by image capture stations and stored in a processing system comprising:

(a) retrieving medical images from said image capture stations, wherein each image capture station includes a different station interface and said processing system includes a plurality of station interfaces to interface different image capture stations;

(b) storing said retrieved images and associated information in a storage system of said processing system;

(c) generating a user interface for display and manipulation of said retrieved medical images; and

(d) establishing communications over said network to enable said medical image retrieval and remote access to said retrieved medical images.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said medical images include ophthalmic images.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein step (a) further includes:

(a.1) automatically retrieving said medical images from a capture station in response to conditions indicating generation of new medical images at that capture station.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said storage system includes a database and a file system, and step (b) further includes:

(b.1) generating a code for each medical image based on data within that image;

(b.2) storing said code associated with each medical image within said database; and

(b.3) storing said retrieved medical images within said file system.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.4) detecting changes in medical images subsequent storage in said file system based on a change in said associated code.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein at least one viewing station is coupled to said processing system via said network, and said method further includes:

(e) generating a code for a retrieved medical image of said user interface and comparing said generated code to said code for that image stored in said database; and

(f) displaying said user interface from said processing system including retrieved medical images at a viewing station in response to validation of said retrieved medical images.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein said file system stores said retrieved medical images and compressed versions of those medical images, and step (b) further includes:

(b.4) selectively performing storage back-up operations for said information within said storage system, wherein said back-up operations include storing at least one of;

said codes within said database;

said codes and said compressed versions of said medical images; and

said codes, said medical images and said compressed versions of said medical images.

37. The method of claim 30 further including:

(e) transferring functions of said processing system to a redundant processing system in response to a failure of said processing system, wherein said redundant processing system stores information from said processing system and lags said processing system with respect to said stored information by a predetermined interval.

38. The method of claim 30 further including:

(e) detecting various conditions of at least one of said processing system and said network and reporting said conditions to a remote system operations center without requiring a private network connection to said remote system operations center.

39. The method of claim 30, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.1) storing information pertaining to user sessions including at least one of users accessing said system, time of access and patients accessed by said user;

(c.2) terminating a user session in response to predetermined conditions; and

(c.3) controlling information accessed by said user, wherein said access is at least one of unlimited, limited to medical examination information associated with said user and limited to test case information.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein said network includes the Internet and each said viewing station includes a browser to display said user interface.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said browser includes image manipulation controls, and step (f) further includes:

(f.1) manipulating medical images displayed on a viewing station in accordance with actuation of said image manipulation controls by a user.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein said browser includes image measurement controls, and step (f) further includes:

(f.1) measuring areas within said medical images displayed on a viewing station in accordance with actuation of said image measurement controls by a user.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein step (f.1) further includes:

(f.1.1) selecting image resolution prior to performing measurement of said areas.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein step (f) further includes:

(f.1) maintaining display settings during display of said medical images by said user on a viewing station.

45. The method of claim 30, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.1) generating a user interface for displaying a plurality of medical images for comparison of those images by a user.

46. The method of claim 30, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.1) enabling a user to verify a medical image retrieved from said capture station and indicating a verification status of said retrieved medical images.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein step (c.1) further includes:

(c.1.1) indicating a status of a medical image as unverified in response to modifications to that image.

48. The method of claim 30, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.1) enabling a user in the form of a medical practitioner to review a medical image retrieved from said capture station and indicating a review status of said retrieved medical images.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein step (c.1) further includes:

(c.1.1) indicating a medical image lacks review in response to modifications to that image.

50. The method of claim 30, wherein at least one viewing station is coupled to said processing system via said network, and step (b) further includes:

(b.1) transferring medical images from said storage system to locations local to said at least one viewing station prior to requests for those images from said at least one viewing station.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein a plurality of gateway units are each disposed at a different site remote from said processing system with each gateway unit coupled to said processing system and a corresponding capture station, and step (b.1) further includes:

(b.1.1) receiving medical images from a capture station at a corresponding gateway unit;

(b.1.2) generating compressed versions of said retrieved medical images at that gateway unit;

(b.1.3) storing said retrieved medical images and said compressed images in a cache memory of that gateway unit; and

(b.1.4) transferring said stored images from that gateway unit to said processing system.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein step (b.1.4) further includes:

(b.1.4.1) transferring said compressed images to said processing system prior to transference of said uncompressed medical images.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein step (b.1.4.1) further includes:

(b.1.4.1.1) transferring uncompressed medical images at times of low utilization of said network.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein at least one viewing station includes a cache memory, and step (b.1) further includes:

(b.1.5) transferring medical images from said storage system to at least one of said viewing station cache memory and said gateway unit cache memory.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein step (c) further includes:

(c.1) determining a location of a user accessing said processing system; and

(c.2) directing retrieval of a requested image from a location in accordance with said user location and a storage location of said requested image, wherein said location includes one of a cache memory of a viewing station of said user, a cache memory of a gateway unit local to said user and said storage system.

56. The method of claim 30, wherein a medical information system maintains information associated with patients and is coupled to said processing system via said network, said method further comprising:

(e) accessing said medical images from said medical information system.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein said network includes the Internet, and step (e) further includes:

(e.1) calling an Internet address of said processing system from said medical information system, wherein said call includes parameters to access desired information.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein step (e) further includes:

(e.1) accessing said processing system via networking protocols to transfer information between said medical information system and said processing system; and

(e.2) verifying patient information received from said medical information system with information associated with said medical images of said processing system and identifying medical images associated with information inconsistent with said information from said medical information system.