METHODS, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS, APPARATUSES, AND SYSTEMS TO ACCOMMODATE DECISION SUPPORT AND REFERENCE CASE MANAGEMENT FOR DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING

• US 20090274384A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• 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 8,520,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/254
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided to accommodate decision support and reference case management for diagnostic imaging. An apparatus may include a processor configured to receive a request for an image from a client device. The processor may be further configured to retrieve a source image corresponding to the requested image from a memory. The processor may additionally be configured to process the source image to generate a second image having a greater resolution than the source image. The processor may also be configured to provide the second image to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the second image at the client device. Corresponding methods and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for an image from a client device;

retrieving a source image corresponding to the requested image from a memory;

processing the source image to generate a second image having a greater resolution than the source image; and

providing the second image to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the second image at the client device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein processing the source image comprises processing the first image at a data server.

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

determining a display resolution associated with the client device; and

wherein processing the source image comprises processing the source image to generate a second image having a greater resolution than the source image based at least in part upon the determined display resolution.

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

receiving an indication from the client device of user manipulation of a property of the second image beyond a threshold value;

processing the source image to generate a third image having a greater resolution than the second image; and

providing the third image to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the third image at the client device.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the requested image is a member of a series of images;

and further comprising;

retrieving additional images in the series of images from memory; and

providing the additional images in the series to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the series of images at the client device.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the requested image is a medical image;

and further comprising;

receiving a request from the client device for images related to the requested image;

searching a plurality of images stored in memory to determine one or more images related to the requested image based at least in part upon a diagnostic criteria associated with the requested image; and

providing the determined one or more related images to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the determined one or more related images at the client device.

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

and

wherein processing the source image comprises processing the source image to generate a second image having a greater resolution than the source image, wherein the second image is formatted such that it is viewable in a general purpose viewing agent.

8. A method comprising:

receiving an electronic message including a medical image from a picture archiving and communication system client;

parsing a subject line and body of the electronic message to extract text data included in the electronic message;

parsing a header associated with the medical image to determine one or more properties of the medical image;

generating a medical case file comprising the medical image; and

populating one or more fields of the medical case file with the extracted text data and the determined properties.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the one or more fields of the medical case file define one or more of diagnostic data, medical image modality data, or patient demographic data.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the text data of the electronic message is at least partially formatted in a markup language, wherein one or more segments of the text data are delimited by one or more tags defining fields of the medical case file with which each delimited segment of text data is associated;

and wherein;

parsing the body of the electronic message comprises parsing the body of the electronic message to extract the one or more delimited segments of text data and to determine a field of the medical case file with which each extracted delimited segment of text data is associated based at least in part upon the tags that delimit each segment of text data; and

populating one or more fields of the medical case file comprises populating each field with which an extracted delimited segment of text data is associated with the associated segment of text data.

11. 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 program instruction for receiving a request for an image from a client device;

a program instruction for retrieving a source image corresponding to the requested image from a memory;

a program instruction for processing the source image to generate a second image having a greater resolution than the source image; and

a program instruction for providing the second image to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the second image at the client device.

12. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the program instruction for processing the source image comprises instructions for processing the first image at a data server.

13. A computer program product according to claim 11, further comprising:

a program instruction for determining a display resolution associated with the client device; and

wherein the program instruction for processing the source image comprises instructions for processing the source image to generate a second image having a greater resolution than the source image based at least in part upon the determined display resolution.

14. A computer program product according to claim 11, further comprising:

a program instruction for receiving an indication from the client device of user manipulation of a property of the second image beyond a threshold value;

a program instruction for processing the source image to generate a third image having a greater resolution than the second image; and

a program instruction for providing the third image to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the third image at the client device.

15. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the requested image is a member of a series of images;

and further comprising;

a program instruction for retrieving additional images in the series of images from memory; and

a program instruction for providing the additional images in the series to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the series of images at the client device.

16. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the requested image is a medical image;

and further comprising;

a program instruction for receiving a request from the client device for images related to the requested image;

a program instruction for searching a plurality of images stored in memory to determine one or more images related to the requested image based at least in part upon a diagnostic criteria associated with the requested image; and

a program instruction for providing the determined one or more related images to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the determined one or more related images at the client device.

17. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the source image is a medical image formatted in accordance with the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standard data format;

and

wherein the program instruction for processing the source image comprises instructions for processing the source image to generate a second image having a greater resolution than the source image, wherein the second image is formatted such that it is viewable in a general purpose viewing agent.

18. 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 program instruction for receiving an electronic message including a medical image from a picture archiving and communication system client;

a program instruction for parsing a subject line and body of the electronic message to extract text data included in the electronic message;

a program instruction for parsing a header associated with the medical image to determine one or more properties of the medical image;

a program instruction for generating a medical case file comprising the medical image; and

a program instruction for populating one or more fields of the medical case file with the extracted text data and the determined properties.

19. A computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the one or more fields of the medical case file define one or more of diagnostic data, medical image modality data, or patient demographic data.

20. A computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the text data of the electronic message is at least partially formatted in a markup language, wherein one or more segments of the text data are delimited by one or more tags defining fields of the medical case file with which each delimited segment of text data is associated;

and wherein;

the program instruction for parsing the body of the electronic message comprises instructions for parsing the body of the electronic message to extract the one or more delimited segments of text data and to determine a field of the medical case file with which each extracted delimited segment of text data is associated based at least in part upon the tags that delimit each segment of text data; and

the program instruction for populating one or more fields of the medical case file comprises instructions for populating each field with which an extracted delimited segment of text data is associated with the associated segment of text data.

21. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

receive a request for an image from a client device;

retrieve a source image corresponding to the requested image from a memory;

process the source image to generate a second image having a greater resolution than the source image; and

provide the second image to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the second image at the client device.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to process the source image by processing the first image at a data server.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a display resolution associated with the client device;

and

wherein the processor is configured to process the source image by processing the source image to generate a second image having a greater resolution than the source image based at least in part upon the determined display resolution.

24. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an indication from the client device of user manipulation of a property of the second image beyond a threshold value;

process the source image to generate a third image having a greater resolution than the second image; and

provide the third image to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the third image at the client device.

25. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the requested image is a member of a series of images;

and wherein the processor is further configured to;

retrieve additional images in the series of images from memory; and

provide the additional images in the series to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the series of images at the client device.

26. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the requested image is a medical image;

and wherein the processor is further configured to;

receive a request from the client device for images related to the requested image;

search a plurality of images stored in memory to determine one or more images related to the requested image based at least in part upon a diagnostic criteria associated with the requested image; and

provide the determined one or more related images to the client device to facilitate viewing and manipulation of the determined one or more related images at the client device.

27. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the source image is a medical image formatted in accordance with the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standard data format;

and

wherein the processor is configured to process the source image by processing the source image to generate a second image having a greater resolution than the source image, wherein the second image is formatted such that it is viewable in a general purpose viewing agent.

28. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

receive an electronic message including a medical image from a picture archiving and communication system client;

parse a subject line and body of the electronic message to extract text data included in the electronic message;

parse a header associated with the medical image to determine one or more properties of the medical image;

generate a medical case file comprising the medical image; and

populate one or more fields of the medical case file with the extracted text data and the determined properties.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the one or more fields of the medical case file define one or more of diagnostic data, medical image modality data, or patient demographic data.

30. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the text data of the electronic message is at least partially formatted in a markup language, wherein one or more segments of the text data are delimited by one or more tags defining fields of the medical case file with which each delimited segment of text data is associated;

and wherein the processor is configured to;

parse the body of the electronic message by parsing the body of the electronic message to extract the one or more delimited segments of text data and to determine a field of the medical case file with which each extracted delimited segment of text data is associated based at least in part upon the tags that delimit each segment of text data; and

populate one or more fields of the medical case file by populating each field with which an extracted delimited segment of text data is associated with the associated segment of text data.