Medical image management system

• US 20060036625A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heart Imaging Technologies LLC (Intelerad Medical Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Heart Imaging Technologies LLC (Intelerad Medical Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kim, Raymond J., Chen, Enn-Ling, Judd, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,166,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data

Abstract

A method of managing medical information is disclosed. Medical image data is received, at a real-time transfer engine, at the same time that the patient is being scanned by a medical imaging device. The medical image data is then converted to a browser-compatible image format at a converter engine connected to receive the medical image data from the real-time transfer engine. The converter engine comprises a decoder engine for extracting image pixel data from the medical image data and an encoding engine for converting the image pixel data to a browser-compatible format connected to receive the image pixel data. The image pixel data may be converted to a browser compatible format without loss of diagnostic data.

Claims

1. A method of managing medical information comprising:

receiving medical image data, at a real-time transfer engine, at the same time that the patient is being scanned by a medical imaging device; and

converting the medical image data to a browser-compatible image format at a converter engine connected to receive the medical image data from the real-time transfer engine, wherein the converter engine comprises;

a decoder engine for extracting image pixel data from the medical image data; and

an encoding engine for converting the image pixel data to a browser-compatible format connected to receive the image pixel data, whereby the image pixel data may be converted to a browser compatible format without loss of diagnostic data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical image data is converted to a browser-compatible format in real-time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical image data is converted to a browser-compatible format in near real-time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical image data comprises a movie depicting heart contractions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the medical image data is converted to browser-compatible format in real-time.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the medical image data is converted to browser-compatible format in near real-time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of medical images comprising a movie depicting the transit of a contrast agent.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the medical image data is converted to browser-compatible format in real-time.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the medical image data is converted to browser-compatible format in near real-time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of medical images comprising a movie depicting three-dimensional anatomy.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the medical image data is converted to browser-compatible format in real-time.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the medical image data is converted to browser-compatible format in near real-time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical image data is derived from data consisting of one of magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, ultrasound, x-rays, x-ray angiography, single-photon emission computed tomography, and positron emission tomography.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the converted medical image data is posted on an intranet.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the converted medical image data is posted on the Internet.