METHODS AND SYSTEMS TO TRANSMIT, VIEW, AND MANIPULATE MEDICAL IMAGES IN A GENERAL PURPOSE VIEWING AGENT

• US 20090059082A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Change Healthcare Holdings, LLC (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: McKesson Information Solutions LLC (McKesson Corp.)
• Inventors: Jakobovits, Rex
• Granted Patent: US 8,654,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/673
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

An apparatus may include a processor configured to determine a first value for a center of brightness and a second value for a window width for contrast. The processor may further be configured to process a first image to generate a second image having a reduced bit-depth based at least in part upon the determined first and second values. The processor may additionally be configured to provide the second image to a remote device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the second image in a general purpose viewing agent. Corresponding methods, computer program products, and systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first value for a center of brightness and a second value for a window width for contrast;

processing a first image to generate a second image having a reduced bit-depth based at least in part upon the determined first and second values; and

providing the second image to a remote device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the second image in a general purpose viewing agent.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a third image from the remote device based at least in part upon user manipulation of the second image in the general purpose viewing agent;

determining a third value for a center of brightness and a fourth value for a window width for contrast;

processing the first image to generate a third image having a reduced bit-depth based at least in part upon the determined third and fourth values; and

providing the third image to the remote device such that the second image is replaced with the third image to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the third image in the general purpose viewing agent.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein receiving a request for a third image comprises receiving an indication from the remote device when the second image second image is manipulated so that a brightness value or contrast value associated with the second image is adjusted beyond a threshold value.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the first and second values comprises determining the first and second values based at least in part upon an indication received from a remote device user.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the first and second values comprises determining the first and second values based at least in part upon information associated with the first image.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first image is a medical image formatted in accordance with the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standard data format.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein manipulation of the second image comprises adjusting one or more of a brightness level or a contrast level associated with the second image.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the second image to the remote device comprises sending the second image as a series of delimited messages that can be handled independently, so that the remote device does not have to wait for the entire second image to be received and parsed prior to beginning to render the second image.

9. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

a first program instruction for determining a first value for a center for brightness and a second value for a window width for contrast;

a second program instruction for processing a first image to generate a second image having a reduced bit-depth based at least in part upon the determined first and second values; and

a third program instruction for providing the second image to a remote device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the second image in a general purpose viewing agent.

10. A computer program product according to claim 9, further comprising:

a fourth program instruction for receiving a request for a third image from the remote device based at least in part upon user manipulation of the second image in the general purpose viewing agent;

a fifth program instruction for determining a third value for a center of brightness and a fourth value for a window width for contrast;

a sixth program instruction for processing the first image to generate a third image having a reduced bit-depth based at least in part upon the determined third and fourth values; and

a seventh program instruction for providing the third image to the remote device such that the second image is replaced with the third image to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the third image in the general purpose viewing agent.

11. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

determine a first value for a center of brightness and a second value for a window width for contrast;

process a first image to generate a second image having a reduced bit-depth based at least in part upon the determined first and second values; and

provide the second image to a remote device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the second image in a general purpose viewing agent.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request for a third image from the remote device based at least in part upon user manipulation of the second image in the general purpose viewing agent;

determine a third value for a center of brightness and a fourth value for a window width for contrast;

process the first image to generate a third image having a reduced bit-depth based at least in part upon the determined third and fourth values; and

provide the third image to the remote device such that the second image is replaced with the third image to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the third image in the general purpose viewing agent.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to receive a request for a third image by receiving an indication from the remote device when the second image is manipulated so that a brightness value or contrast value associated with the second image is adjusted beyond a threshold value.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine the first and second values based at least in part upon an indication received from a remote device user.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to determine the first and second values based at least in part upon information associated with the first image.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the first image is a medical image formatted in accordance with the Digital Image and Communications in Medicine standard data format.

17. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein manipulation of the second image comprises adjusting one or more of a brightness level or a contrast level associated with the second image.

18. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to provide the second image to the remote device by sending the second image as a series of delimited messages that can be handled independently, so that the remote device does not have to wait for the entire second image to be received and parsed prior to beginning to render the second image.

19. A system comprising:

a host device configured to receive a request for a medical image from a client device, determine a first value for a center of brightness and a second value for a window width for contrast, process the requested medical image to generate a second image having a reduced bit-depth based at least in part upon the determined first and second values, and provide the second image to the client device; and

a client device configured to request a medical image from the host device and to receive the second image, wherein the client device comprises a general purpose general purpose viewing agent for facilitating viewing and manipulation of the second image by a user of the client device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the host device is further configured to receive a request for a third image from the client device based at least in part upon manipulation of the second image in the general purpose viewing agent, determine a third value for a center of brightness and a fourth value for a window width for contrast, process the requested medical image to generate a third image based at least in part upon the determined third and fourth values, and provide the third image to the client device; and

the client device is further configured to request a third image from the host device.