SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATIC ROUTING AND PRIORITIZATION OF EXAMS BSED ON IMAGE CLASSIFICATION

• US 20080118119A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mahesh, Prakash, Morita, Mark, Kariathungal, Murali Kumaran
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,188 B2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method for automatic prioritization and routing of exams for patients in a medical center based on image classification. The method includes capturing an image and digitizing it, automatically classifying the image based on its content, prioritizing the image based on its classification, and routing the image based on its prioritization and classification to the appropriate medical practitioner.

Claims

1. A method for automatic routing of exams based on image classification, the method comprising:

capturing an image set;

automatically classifying and prioritizing the image set; and

automatically routing the image set based on the classifying and prioritizing of the image set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image set is captured using a medical imaging device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving rules for processing the image set based on the classifying of the image set.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the processing the image set using the retrieved rules comprises assigning a priority to the image set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image set comprises digitized images.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image set is automatically classified at least in part based on input parameters associated with the image set.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image set is automatically routed to a practitioner with a specialty appropriate for the classification and prioritization.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the image set is automatically classified at least in part based on input parameters associated with the image set.

8. A computer readable storage medium including a set of instructions for execution on a computer, the set of instructions including:

a capturing routine configured to capture an image set;

a classifying routine configured to automatically classify and prioritize the image set; and

a routing routine configured to automatically route the image set based on the classifying and prioritizing of the image set.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the image set is captured using a medical imaging device.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the set of instructions further comprise a retrieving routine configured to retrieve rules for processing the image set based on the classifying of the image set.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the retrieving routine is further configured to assign a priority to the image set.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the image set comprises digitized images.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the image set is automatically routed to a practitioner with a specialty appropriate for the classification and prioritization.

15. A system for automatic routing of exams based on image classification, the system comprising:

an image capturing device that captures an image set; and

at least one processor that enables automatically classifying and prioritizing the image set, the at least one processor automatically routing the image set based on the classifying and prioritizing of the image set.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the image set is captured using a medical imaging device.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising the at least one processor that enables retrieving rules for processing the image set based on the classifying of the image set.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing the image set using the retrieved rules comprises assigning a priority to the image set.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the image set comprises digitized images.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the image set is automatically classified at least in part based on input parameters associated with the image set.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the image set is automatically routed to a practitioner with a specialty appropriate for the classification and prioritization.