System and Method for Generating Radiological Prose Text Utilizing Radiological Prose Text Definition Ontology

• US 20110035206A1
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Healthcare Americas Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Medical Systems USA Incorporated (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ding, Yihong, Hale, Charles R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to a method programmed in a computing environment for providing prose text reporting, utilizing a prose text definition ontology comprising linguistic knowledge and a base report domain ontology. A system and method are provided to define various aspects of radiological report information processing as concept properties represented by a vocabulary of one or more instances of ontology concepts and presented in prose text. Even further, a system and method are provided for consulting a radiological prose text definition ontology wherein radiological domain concepts and relationships may be expressed or further utilized by other application programs. Users are able to quickly, accurately and consistently consult and report radiological observations in unambiguous prose text.

Claims

1. A method programmed in a computing environment for providing prose text reporting, the method comprising:

utilizing a prose text definition ontology having linguistic knowledge and a base report domain ontology;

said prose text definition ontology comprising;

references to said base report domain ontology;

connectors for modeling adjacent linguistic relations to connect concepts from said base report domain ontology; and

sequences for modeling relations among concepts from said base report domain ontology;

wherein said prose text definition ontology is consulted with concepts from said report domain ontology to provide prose text that expresses said concepts and relationships involved in the consultation;

wherein said base report domain ontology imports knowledge items pertaining to a patient, defines said knowledge items as report domain concepts of said base report domain ontology, identifies relationships between said report domain concepts, and identifies constraints on said report domain concepts, whereby the knowledge items may be identified, classified and validated in the context of said report domain ontology;

wherein said concepts, relationships and constraints are presented to said prose text definition ontology to be expressed as prose text using said references, connectors and sequences.

2. A method programmed in a computing environment for consulting and providing a prose text report from a radiological domain ontology in reference to a subject, the method comprising:

defining one or more aspects of radiology report information as concept properties represented by a vocabulary of one or more instances of said radiological domain ontology, said radiological domain ontology declaring and fulfilling a model of radiological domain knowledge;

providing a non-radiological information item of interest that relates to said subject;

employing a context that defines a set of said radiological domain knowledge and the relationships among said set of radiological domain knowledge to describe said subject;

validating that said information item of interest is reportable radiological information and resides in said radiological domain of knowledge;

identifying a definitive concept of said information item of interest from within said radiological domain of knowledge; and

classifying said informational item of interest;

employing a context that defines a set of linguistic knowledge and the relationship among said set of linguistic knowledge to express said concept properties;

wherein said concept properties are expressed in the context of a linguistic ontology as prose text.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said linguistic knowledge comprises:

references to said radiological report domain ontology;

connectors for modeling adjacent linguistic relations that connect concepts within said radiological report domain ontology; and

sequences for modeling relations among concepts within said radiological report domain ontology;

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said linguistic knowledge further comprises:

an open block for modeling the way the prose text report or a linguistic unit in the prose text starts; and

a close block for modeling the way the prose text report or a linguistic unit in the prose text ends.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing a set of sub-ontologies to said linguistic knowledge wherein each of said sub-ontologies is dedicated to a specific language or dialect.