IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD, MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING APPARATUS, AND MEDICAL IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20100183208A1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kondo, Takashi, Yamagishi, Hiromasa, Ebina, Teruhiko
• Granted Patent: US 10,210,309 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

Abstract

Setting information in which a sequence with medical meaning is set as the sequence of viewing a plurality of medical image data is read from a portable medium. Moreover, in accordance with the sequence set in the setting information, a plurality of medical image data stored in the portable medium is replicated into a storage unit of a terminal device as replicated medical image data. Furthermore, before replication of all of the medical image data stored in the portable medium is finished, reception of an output instruction is started. Replicated medical image data corresponding to medical image data specified in the output instruction is then output to an output unit.

Claims

1. An image display method comprising:

reading setting information in which a sequence with medical meaning is set as a sequence of viewing a plurality of pieces of medical image data, from a portable medium that stores a plurality of pieces of medical image data and the setting information;

replicating the pieces of medical image data stored in the portable medium into a storage unit of a terminal device to be used for viewing the medical image data as replicated medical image data in accordance with the sequence set in read setting information;

starting to accept an output instruction that directs output of medical image data onto an output unit before replication of all of the pieces of medical image data stored in the portable medium is finished;

searching the storage unit for replicated medical image data corresponding to medical image data specified in an output instruction to output medical image data, upon receiving the output instruction; and

outputting searched-out replicated medical image data onto the output unit.

2. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein

the medical image data includes attribution information about a subject imaged into the medical image data as supplemental information, and

data except the attribution information about the subject among the medical image data is replicated into the storage unit.

3. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein

the medical image data includes attribution information about a subject imaged into the medical image data, and identification information that uniquely identifies the medical image data, as supplemental information,

data except the attribution information about the subject among the medical image data is replicated into the storage unit,

the portable medium is searched by using identification information included in replicated medical image data searched out from the storage unit, and

the attribution information about the subject that is stored by being associated with the identification information is output onto an output unit together with the replicated medical image data.

4. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein

the medical image data includes attribution information about a subject imaged into the medical image data, identification information that uniquely identifies the medical image data, and image attribution information for outputting the medical image data onto an output unit, as supplemental information,

data except the attribution information about the subject among the medical image data is replicated into the storage unit,

replicated medical image data searched out from the storage unit is output onto an output unit in accordance with image attribution information included in the replicated medical image data,

the portable medium is searched by using identification information included in the replicated medical image data, and

the attribution information about the subject that is stored by being associated with the identification information is output onto the output unit together with the replicated medical image data.

5. The image display method according to claim 1, wherein upon receiving an output instruction to output medical image data, replicated medical image data to be output next to replicated medical image data being output onto the output unit, and searched-out replicated medical image data is output onto the output unit.

6. A medical diagnostic imaging apparatus comprising:

a medical image-data taking unit that takes medical image data;

a medical image-data writing unit that writes a plurality of pieces of medical image data taken by the medical image-data taking unit onto a portable medium;

a setting-information writing unit that writes setting information in which a sequence with medical meaning is set as a sequence of viewing the pieces of medical image data onto the portable medium; and

a program writing unit that writes onto the portable medium a computer program that causes a computer to execute reading the setting information from the portable medium, replicating the pieces of medical image data stored in the portable medium into a storage unit of a terminal device to be used for viewing the medical image data as replicated medical image data in accordance with a sequence set in the setting information, starting to accept an output instruction that directs output of medical image data onto an output unit before replication of all medical image data stored in the portable medium is finished, searching the storage unit for replicated medical image data corresponding to medical image data specified in an output instruction upon receiving the output instruction, and outputting searched-out replicated medical image data onto the output unit.

7. The medical diagnostic imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the medical image data includes attribution information about a subject imaged into the medical image data as supplemental information, and

the program writing unit writes onto the portable medium a computer program that causes a computer to execute replicating data except the attribution information about the subject among the medical image data into the storage unit.

8. The medical diagnostic imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the medical image data includes attribution information about a subject imaged into the medical image data, and identification information that uniquely identifies the medical image data, as supplemental information, and

the program writing unit writes onto the portable medium a computer program that causes a computer to execute replicating data except the attribution information about the subject among the medical image data into the storage unit, searching the portable medium by using identification information included in the replicated medical image data searched out from the storage unit, and outputting the attribution information about the subject that is stored by being associated with the identification information onto an output unit together with the replicated medical image data.

9. The medical diagnostic imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the medical image data includes attribution information about a subject imaged into the medical image data, identification information that uniquely identifies the medical image data, and image attribution information for outputting the medical image data onto an output unit, as supplemental information, and

the program writing unit writes onto the portable medium a computer program that causes a computer to execute replicating data except the attribution information about the subject among the medical image data into the storage unit, outputting replicated medical image data searched out from the storage unit onto the output unit in accordance with image attribution information included in the replicated medical image data, searching the portable medium by using identification information included in the replicated medical image data, and outputting the attribution information about the subject that is stored by being associated with the identification information onto the output unit together with the replicated medical image data.

10. The medical diagnostic imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the program writing unit writes onto the portable medium a computer program that causes a computer to execute searching for replicated medical image data to be output next to replicated medical image data being output to the output unit upon receiving an output instruction to output medical image data, and then outputting searched-out replicated medical image data onto the output unit.

11. A medical image processing apparatus comprising:

a medical image-data writing unit that writes a plurality of pieces of medical image data onto a portable medium;

a setting-information writing unit that writes setting information in which a sequence with medical meaning is set as a sequence of viewing the pieces of medical image data onto the portable medium; and

a program writing unit that writes onto the portable medium a computer program that causes a computer to execute reading the setting information from the portable medium, replicating the pieces of medical image data stored in the portable medium into a storage unit of a terminal device to be used for viewing the medical image data as replicated medical image data in accordance with a sequence set in the setting information, starting to accept an output instruction that directs output of medical image data onto an output unit before replication of all medical image data stored in the portable medium is finished, searching the storage unit for replicated medical image data corresponding to medical image data specified in an output instruction upon receiving the output instruction, and outputting searched-out replicated medical image data onto the output unit.

12. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the medical image data includes attribution information about a subject imaged into the medical image data as supplemental information, and

the program writing unit writes onto the portable medium a computer program that causes a computer to execute replicating data except the attribution information about the subject among the medical image data into the storage unit.

13. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the medical image data includes attribution information about a subject imaged into the medical image data, and identification information that uniquely identifies the medical image data, as supplemental information, and

the program writing unit writes onto the portable medium a computer program that causes a computer to execute replicating data except the attribution information about the subject among the medical image data into the storage unit, searching the portable medium by using identification information included in the replicated medical image data searched out from the storage unit, and outputting the attribution information about the subject that is stored by being associated with the identification information onto an output unit together with the replicated medical image data.

14. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the medical image data includes attribution information about a subject imaged into the medical image data, identification information that uniquely identifies the medical image data, and image attribution information for outputting the medical image data onto an output unit, as supplemental information, and

the program writing unit writes onto the portable medium a computer program that causes a computer to execute replicating data except the attribution information about the subject among the medical image data into the storage unit, outputting replicated medical image data searched out from the storage unit onto the output unit in accordance with image attribution information included in the replicated medical image data, searching the portable medium by using identification information included in the replicated medical image data, and outputting the attribution information about the subject that is stored by being associated with the identification information onto the output unit together with the replicated medical image data.

15. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the program writing unit writes onto the portable medium a computer program that causes a computer to execute searching for replicated medical image data to be output next to replicated medical image data being output to the output unit upon receiving an output instruction to output medical image data, and then outputting searched-out replicated medical image data onto the output unit.