Workflow optimization for high thoughput imaging enviroments
First Claim
1. A medical diagnostic imaging system for acquiring images of a patient, coupled to a hospital network, which includes a hospital database and a plurality of hospital computers, the system comprising:
- a means for controlling the imaging system, which controlling means is coupled to the imaging system and the hospital network and includes;
a display, an applications database which is configurable by a user, and an interface means for displaying interactive user interface screens on the display, which user interface screens allow the user to configure the applications database and interactively control the imaging system by at least activating icons and buttons displayed thereon.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A medical diagnostic imaging system (10) is coupled to a hospital network (14) to optimize a throughput of a scanner (24). The hospital network includes a hospital records database (18) and a plurality of hospital computers and remote means (20). A workstation (12) is coupled to the scanner (24) and the hospital network (14) and is used to control a scanning process. The workstation (12) includes a display (44), an applications database (52), which is configurable by a user, and an interface means (48) for displaying interactive user interface screens (46) on the display (44). The interface screens (46) allow the user to configure the applications database (52) and interactively control the scanning process.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A medical diagnostic imaging system for acquiring images of a patient, coupled to a hospital network, which includes a hospital database and a plurality of hospital computers, the system comprising:
a means for controlling the imaging system, which controlling means is coupled to the imaging system and the hospital network and includes;
a display, an applications database which is configurable by a user, and an interface means for displaying interactive user interface screens on the display, which user interface screens allow the user to configure the applications database and interactively control the imaging system by at least activating icons and buttons displayed thereon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. In a medical diagnostic imaging system coupled to a hospital network which interconnects a hospital archive databases, computers, computer displays, and diagnostic scanners, a computer programmed for at least one of:
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(a) selecting a limited number of protocols from a menu of available protocols in accordance with entered patient size, patient age, radiologist identification, radiologist preferences, and the nature and region of patient to be scanned, and generating an operator interactive display of the limited number of protocols;
(b) automatically commencing post-processing during data acquisition in accordance with the types and format of images most commonly generated for a selected scan protocol;
(c) optimizing a tube voltage and tube current in accordance with an operator selected protocol;
(d) searching the hospital archive database for scans of a patient currently undergoing examination and routing the archive scans directly to the display terminal of a diagnosing radiologist, automatically without waiting for a transfer request;
(e) searching the hospital archive database to determine if a current examination is a follow-up examination, determining parameters and scan protocols used in prior scans, and setting the scanner to conduct the follow-up examination using the same parameters and scan protocols;
(f) searching the hospital archive database to determine preferences of a diagnosing radiologist and adjusting level, zoom, slice and slab thicknesses, windowing, and other display characteristics in accordance with the retrieved preferences of the diagnosing radiologist;
(g) merging groups of slice images into a smaller number of slab images, sequentially displaying the slab images, and displaying the individual slice images corresponding to each slab image designated by a diagnosing radiologist;
(h) generating a series of prompts to an operator to lead the operator sequentially through an imaging procedure;
(i) for each scanner, automatically generating a digital log book by collecting entered patient information and scan information for each patient examined by the corresponding scanner;
(j) at the beginning of a scan procedure, automatically uploading scan protocol information previously submitted from a remote computer or PDA. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification