DATABASE SYSTEMS AND INTERACTIVE USER INTERFACES FOR DYNAMIC INTERACTION WITH, AND REVIEW OF, DIGITAL MEDICAL IMAGE DATA

• US 20170038951A1
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merative US LP
• Original Assignee: DR Systems Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Reicher, Murray A., Fram, Evan K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,909,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

Database systems and techniques are disclosed for accessing data stores of digital medical images, processing the digital images, and displaying the digital images to efficiently provide information in an interactive user interface. The disclosure may advantageously provide efficient and rapid dynamic interaction with digital images accessed from one or more databases to enable user detection of differences between related digital images. Interactive user interfaces may be dynamically updated to provide rapid comparison of digital images. Further, digital images from multiple data sources may be automatically sorted by the system according to attributes associated with the images and rules and/or preferences of the user. In an embodiment the user may select a digital image from a first data source, and the system automatically determines and displays one or more comparison images from other image data sources. Images may additionally be automatically registered and/or matched to enable more efficient comparison and evaluation.

Claims

1. A database computing system for processing digital medical images, the computing system comprising:

an electronic display;

an input device;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store software instructions; and

one or more computer processors in communication with the electronic display, the input device, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the one or more computer processors configured to execute the software instructions in order to cause the computing system to;

generate user interface data useable for displaying a user interface on the electronic display, the user interface including at least a plurality of selectable image thumbnails; and

in response to a user input indicating selection of a first image thumbnail of the plurality of selectable image thumbnails;

determine a first medical image of a first image series of a first medical exam associated with the first image thumbnail, wherein the first image series includes a first plurality of medical images, and wherein the first medical exam is associated with a patient;

determine, based on one or more matching rules, a comparison series of a comparison exam for comparison with the first image series, wherein the comparison series includes a second plurality of medical images, and wherein the comparison medical exam is also associated with the patient and was acquired at a time different than the first medical exam;

identify, based on one or more attributes of the first medical image, a comparison medical image of the comparison image series for comparison with the first medical image; and

update the user interface data such that the user interface includes at least;

the first medical image of the first image series displayed in a first image pane in a first location; and

the comparison medical image of the comparison image series displayed in a second image pane in a second location.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the user input indicating selection of the first image thumbnail of the plurality of selectable image thumbnails comprises a dragging of the first image thumbnail from a first portion of the user interface to a second portion of the user interface.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer processors are configured to execute the software instructions in order to further cause the computing system to:

in response to a second user input indicating a request to sort medical images;

access a first one or more sorting rules indicating a first attribute and a second attribute;

sort a set of images including the first and second plurality of medical images to determine a sorted set of images by at least;

sorting the set of images based on the first attribute; and

further sorting the set of images based on the second attribute such that the sorted set of images are sorted based on both the first and second attributes; and

update the user interface data such that the user interface includes at least;

a third image pane overlaying the first and second image panes, wherein a first image of the sorted set of images is displayed in the third image pane.

4. The computing system of claim 3, wherein the one or more computer processors are configured to execute the software instructions in order to further cause the computing system to:

in response to a third user input indicating a direction of movement within the sorted set of images, update the user interface data such that, in the user interface, the first image is replaced with a second image of the sorted set of images that is adjacent to the first image in the sorted set of images, wherein the second image is displayed in the third image pane.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the first and second locations are adjacent to one another.

6. A method comprising:

by one or more computer processors configured to execute software instructions;

generating user interface data useable for displaying a user interface on an electronic display, the user interface including at least a plurality of selectable image thumbnails; and

in response to a user input indicating selection of a first image thumbnail of the plurality of selectable image thumbnails;

determining a first medical image of a first image series of a first medical exam associated with the first image thumbnail, wherein the first image series includes a first plurality of medical images, and wherein the first medical exam is associated with a patient;

determining, based on one or more matching rules, a comparison series of a comparison exam for comparison with the first image series, wherein the comparison series includes a second plurality of medical images, and wherein the comparison medical exam is also associated with the patient and was acquired at a time different than the first medical exam;

identifying, based on one or more attributes of the first medical image, a comparison medical image of the comparison image series for comparison with the first medical image; and

updating the user interface data such that the user interface includes at least;

the first medical image of the first image series displayed in a first image pane in a first location; and

the comparison medical image of the comparison image series displayed in a second image pane in a second location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user input indicating selection of the first image thumbnail of the plurality of selectable image thumbnails comprises a dragging of the first image thumbnail from a first portion of the user interface to a second portion of the user interface.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

by the one or more computer processors configured to execute software instructions;

in response to a second user input indicating a request to sort medical images;

accessing a first one or more sorting rules indicating a first attribute and a second attribute;

sorting a set of images including the first and second plurality of medical images to determine a sorted set of images by at least;

sorting the set of images based on the first attribute; and

further sorting the set of images based on the second attribute such that the sorted set of images are sorted based on both the first and second attributes; and

updating the user interface data such that the user interface includes at least;

a third image pane overlaying the first and second image panes, wherein a first image of the sorted set of images is displayed in the third image pane.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

by the one or more computer processors configured to execute software instructions;

in response to a third user input indicating a direction of movement within the sorted set of images, updating the user interface data such that, in the user interface, the first image is replaced with a second image of the sorted set of images that is adjacent to the first image in the sorted set of images, wherein the second image is displayed in the third image pane.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second locations are adjacent to one another.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer processor to cause the computer processor to:

generate user interface data useable for displaying a user interface on an electronic display, the user interface including at least a plurality of selectable image thumbnails; and

in response to a user input indicating selection of a first image thumbnail of the plurality of selectable image thumbnails;

determine a first medical image of a first image series of a first medical exam associated with the first image thumbnail, wherein the first image series includes a first plurality of medical images, and wherein the first medical exam is associated with a patient;

determine, based on one or more matching rules, a comparison series of a comparison exam for comparison with the first image series, wherein the comparison series includes a second plurality of medical images, and wherein the comparison medical exam is also associated with the patient and was acquired at a time different than the first medical exam;

identify, based on one or more attributes of the first medical image, a comparison medical image of the comparison image series for comparison with the first medical image; and

update the user interface data such that the user interface includes at least;

the first medical image of the first image series displayed in a first image pane in a first location; and

the comparison medical image of the comparison image series displayed in a second image pane in a second location.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the user input indicating selection of the first image thumbnail of the plurality of selectable image thumbnails comprises a dragging of the first image thumbnail from a first portion of the user interface to a second portion of the user interface.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer processor to further cause the computer processor to:

in response to a second user input indicating a request to sort medical images;

access a first one or more sorting rules indicating a first attribute and a second attribute;

sort a set of images including the first and second plurality of medical images to determine a sorted set of images by at least;

sorting the set of images based on the first attribute; and

further sorting the set of images based on the second attribute such that the sorted set of images are sorted based on both the first and second attributes; and

update the user interface data such that the user interface includes at least;

a third image pane overlaying the first and second image panes, wherein a first image of the sorted set of images is displayed in the third image pane.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer processor to further cause the computer processor to:

in response to a third user input indicating a direction of movement within the sorted set of images, update the user interface data such that, in the user interface, the first image is replaced with a second image of the sorted set of images that is adjacent to the first image in the sorted set of images, wherein the second image is displayed in the third image pane.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first and second locations are adjacent to one another.