STRUCTURED, IMAGE-ASSISTED FINDING GENERATION

• US 20130216112A1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Graessner, Joachim
• Application Number:
  US13/768,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20130216112A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5294 involving using additional data, e.g. patient information, image labeling, acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/546 Interface between the MR system and the user, e.g. for controlling the operation of the MR system or for the design of pulse sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5608 Data processing and visualization specially adapted for MR, e.g. for feature analysis and pattern recognition on the basis of measured MR data, segmentation of measured MR data, edge contour detection on the basis of measured MR data, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of signal-to-noise ratio by means of noise filtering or apodization, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of resolution by means for deblurring, windowing, zero filling, or generation of gray-scaled images, colour-coded images or images displaying vectors instead of pixels image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• 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

Abstract

In a method for visual referencing of image information within the scope of a workflow control in an image-assisted medical finding, as well as a data structure, a workflow control system with a control module, and a non-transitory storage medium encode with programming instructions, in addition to an image to be assessed, at least one reference image is superimposed at a monitor in which the most frequent pathological variations of the body region shown in the image are presented in order to enable a uniform referencing.

Claims

1. A method for visually referencing image information at a display of a computerized workstation, comprising:

in a processor of a computerized workstation, executing a user-interactive workflow configured to provide medical image assistance in making a medical finding;

in said workflow, causing, from said processor, display of a medical image, which contains at least one anatomical region, at a display device in communication with said processor;

in said processor, automatically detecting an identifier that identifies said at least one anatomical region in the displayed image;

in said processor, accessing a databank in which a plurality of reference images are stored and, using said identifier, selecting at least one of said reference images that provides a visual reference to a viewer at said display device for said at least one anatomical region in the image displayed at said display device; and

from said processor, automatically also causing said at least one of said reference images to be displayed with said at least one anatomical region of said image at said display device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said processor, detecting said identifier by automatic detection of content of said at least one anatomical region in said image displayed at said display device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising providing information in a DICOM header associated with said image displayed at said display device, and automatically detecting said identifier in said processor based on said information in said DICOM header.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said processor, detecting said identifier from an orientation of said at least one anatomical region in said image at said display device.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising presenting said at least one of said reference images simultaneously or in parallel with said image at said display device.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising maintaining display of said image at said display device with no reference image superimposed thereon, and superimposing said at least one of said reference images on said image at said display device in a separate window at said display device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising selecting said reference image from the group consisting of at least one pathological version of said at least one anatomical region in said image at said display device, and at least one healthy version of said at least one anatomical region in said image at said display device.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising storing said reference images in said databank respectively with an associated data structure that causes respective reference images to be selected based on said identifier.

9. A workflow control system for implementing an image-assisted medical finding, comprising:

a processor configured to execute a user-interactive workflow configured to provide medical image assistance in making a medical finding;

a display device in communication with said processor;

said processor in said workflow, being configured to cause display of a medical image, which contains at least one anatomical region, at said display device;

said processor being configured to automatically detect an identifier that identifies said at least one anatomical region in the displayed image;

said processor being configured to access a databank in which a plurality of reference images are stored and, using said identifier, to select at least one of said reference images that provides a visual reference to a viewer at said display device for said at least one anatomical region in the image displayed at said display device; and

said processor being configured to automatically cause display of said at least one of said reference images with said at least one anatomical region of said image at said display device.

10. A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said data storage medium being loaded into a computerized processor, in communication with a display device, and having access to a databank, said programming instructions causing said processor to:

execute a user-interactive workflow configured to provide medical image assistance in making a medical finding;

in said workflow display a medical image, which contains at least one anatomical region, at said display device;

automatically detect an identifier that identifies said at least one anatomical region in the displayed image;

access said databank, in which a plurality of reference images are stored and, using said identifier, select at least one of said reference images that provides a visual reference to a viewer at said display device for said at least one anatomical region in the image displayed at said display device; and

automatically cause said at least one of said reference images to be displayed with said at least one anatomical region of said image at said display device.

11. A storage medium as claimed in claim 10 wherein said programming instructions cause said reference images to be stored in said databank each with an associated data structure that allows a respective reference image to be selected based on said identifier.