System and method for integrating ancillary data in DICOM image files

• US 20060242148A1
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medimaging Tools, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medimaging Tools, LLC
• Inventors: Rothpearl, Allen, Killcommons, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The invention comprises a system and method for integrating electronic patient information with an electronic medical image file. In one embodiment, at least one information processor is provided that is operable to communicate over a communication network. A database is provided on the at least one information processor, wherein the database is operable to store electronic patient information representing a plurality of patients, and further to store respective image files representing patient medical examinations. A receiving module is preferably included that receives an image file representing a patient medical examination. The image file is preferably formatted with a respective filename. Also, a converting module is provided that is operable to convert the image file to be associated with at least one tag, wherein the converting module refers to at least the respective filename to associate the image with the tag(s), and further the tag(s) are associated with the image file to associate the medical image record with the electronic patient information for a respective patient. A storage module is further operable to store the converted image to the database. Preferably, the modules operate substantially without human intervention.

Claims

1. A system for integrating electronic patient information with an electronic medical image file, the system comprising:

at least one information processor operable to communicate over a communication network;

a database on the at least one information processor, wherein the database is operable to store electronic patient information representing a plurality of patients, and further to store respective medical image files representing patient medical examinations;

a receiving module that is operable to receive over the communication network a medical image file representing a patient medical examination, wherein the medical image file is formatted with a respective filename;

a converting module that is operable to convert the medical image file by associating the medical image file with at least one tag, wherein the converting module refers to at least the respective filename to associate the medical image with the at least one tag and further wherein the at least one tag associated with the medical image file associates the medical image record with the electronic patient information for a respective patient; and

a storage module that is operable to store the converted medical image to the database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving module, the converting module and the storage module operate substantially without human intervention.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving module is further operable to receive electronic textual information that further represents the medical examination represented by the medical image file.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising an adding module operable to associate the electronic textual information with the medical image file.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the adding module is further operable to associate the medical image file with the electronic textual information by adding the electronic textual information to the medical image file.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the electronic textual information includes handwritten notes, forms and/or charts.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fax module that is operable to receive a fax cover page formatted with an identifier of the patient and/or the medical examination, and is further operable to receive electronic textual information that represents the medical examination represented by the medical image file.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising an adding module that is operable to associate the electronic textual information with the medical image file, wherein the electronic textual information is received by the fax module.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the fax module is further operable to read a bar code printed on the fax cover page, and associate the electronic textual information with the medical image file as a function of the bar code.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface providing one or more graphical screen controls enabling a user to identify parameters for the receiving module and/or the converting module, and further enabling a user to invoke at least one of the modules.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the graphical screen controls include data entry controls for least one selected from the group consisting of:

a uniform resource locator identifying a location of an electronic file to be transmitted to and received by the receiving module, wherein the location represents a directory name or a folder name;

an identifier representing the medical examination;

an identifier representing the patient;

an examination date;

an institution name;

a referring physician'"'"'s demographic information;

a treating physician'"'"'s demographic information;

an IP address and port number representing a receiving location for transmitting electronic information; and

an ODBC data source name representing the database.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display module that is operable to display the medical image file and the associated electronic textual information.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reporting module that enables a user to execute a query of the database and that displays a report of the results of the query.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the query is executed and the report is displayed via a web browser software application over the internet.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the report is formatted in hypertext markup language, and further wherein the report includes selectable links.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the selectable links enable the user to generate a fax cover page and/or view the medical image file associated with the at least one tag.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the converting module converts the medical image file to a DICOM image file.

18. A method for integrating medical examination information with a medical image file, the method comprising:

providing at least one information processor operable to communicate over a communication network;

providing a database on the at least one information processor, wherein the database is operable to store electronic patient information representing a plurality of patients, and further to store respective medical image files representing patient medical examinations;

receiving over the communication network a medical image file representing a patient medical examination, wherein the medical image file is formatted with a respective filename;

converting the medical image file to associate the medical image with at least one tag by referring to at least the respective filename and associating the medical image with the electronic patient information, and

storing the converted medical image to the database.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the steps of receiving, converting and storing occur substantially without human intervention.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of receiving further includes receiving electronic textual information that further represents the medical examination represented by the medical image file.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising associating the electronic textual information with the medical image file.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of adding comprises associating the medical image file with the electronic textual information by adding the electronic textual information to the medical image file.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the electronic textual information includes handwritten notes, forms and/or charts.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving by fax a fax cover page formatted with an identifier of the patient and/or the medical examination, and receiving electronic textual information that represents the medical examination represented by the medical image file.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising associating the electronic textual information with the medical image file, wherein the electronic textual information is received by fax.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising reading a bar code printed on the fax cover page, and associating the electronic textual information with the medical image file as a function of the bar code.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a graphical user interface that includes one or more graphical screen controls enabling a user to identify parameters for the step of receiving and/or the step of converting, and/or further to instruct the information processor to execute at least one of the steps of receiving, converting or storing.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the graphical screen controls include data entry controls for least one selected from the group consisting of:

a uniform resource locator identifying a location of an electronic file to be transmitted to and received by the receiving module, wherein the location represents a directory name or a folder name;

an identifier representing the medical examination;

an identifier representing the patient;

an examination date;

an institution name;

a referring physician'"'"'s demographic information;

a treating physician'"'"'s demographic information;

an IP address and port number representing a receiving location for transmitting electronic information; and

an ODBC data source name representing the database.

29. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying the medical image file and the associated electronic textual information.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing an interface to enable a user to execute a query of the database, and displaying a report of the results of the query.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing the interface and displaying the report via a web browser software application over the internet.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising formatting the report in hypertext markup language, and including includes selectable links in the report.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the selectable links enable the user to generate facsimiles and/or view the medical image file associated with the at least one tag.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of converting comprises converting the medical image file to a DICOM image file.