Computed radiography patient identification system

• US 5,334,851 A
• Filed: 10/19/1992
• Issued: 08/02/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company, University Of Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company, University Of Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education)
• Inventors: Whiting, Bruce R., Weil, Richard, Gur, David, Modney, David L., Good, Walter F., Owen, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): FIELDS, CAROLYN
• Application Number:
  US07/963,036
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 378/165, 378/116, 250/327.2, 250/484.1, 250/581-587, 364/413.13
• US Class Current: 250/582
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4494 Means for identifying the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2012 using stimulable phosphors, e.g. stimulable phosphor sheets
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/047 provided with marking means

Abstract

A computed radiography patient identification system which matches a patient with an X-ray image of the patient stored in a stimulable storage phosphor. The system includes a patient identifying bar code uniquely identifying a patient; a stimulable storage phosphor identifying bar code uniquely identifying a stimulable storage phosphor and a portable bar code scanner. The bar code scanner is used to scan the patient bar code and the storage phosphor bar code when a patient is exposed to an X-ray which is stored on the stimulable storage phosphor. Preferably, a mobile X-ray source has an associated set of bar codes identifying X-ray examination types (chest, head, limb, etc.) and/or X-ray exposure conditions. The bar code scanner scans the examination type bar code at the time the X-ray of the patient is taken. The system includes a storage phosphor reader for converting an X-ray image stored in a storage phosphor into an X-ray image signal. The bar code identification of such stimulable phosphor is also read out. The storage phosphor reader receives from the portable bar code reader, information relating to patient identification, storage phosphor identification and examination type and matches the patient identification and examination type with the X-ray image signal.

Claims

1. A computed radiography patient identifying system comprising:

patient identifying bar code means adapted to be located with a patient for identifying a patient;

storage phosphor means for storing an x-ray image of a patient, said storage phosphor means having storage phosphor identifying bar code means for identifying the storage phosphor means;

x-ray examination type bar code means locatable with an x-ray source for identifying x-ray examination type characteristics of said x-ray image stored in said storage phosphor means, wherein said x-ray examination type bar code means includes a first set of bar codes identifying unique body parts of a patient and a second set of bar codes identifying x-ray exposure conditions;

hand-held bar code scanner means, having memory, for scanning said patient identifying bar code means, said storage phosphor bar code identifying means, and a bar code from each of the respective first and second sets of said x-ray examination type bar code means at the time said storage phosphor means is exposed to an x-ray image of a patient, to produce patient identifying information, storage phosphor means identifying information, and x-ray examination type information which is stored in said memory;

storage phosphor reader means for converting a stored x-ray image in said storage phosphor means into an x-ray image signal, said storage phosphor reader means having first means for receiving information identifying said storage phosphor means from said storage phosphor bar code identifying means; and

second means for receiving from said hand-held bar code scanner means the stored information relating to patient identification, storage phosphor means identification, and x-ray examination type and for matching the received information with said x-ray image signal converted from said storage phosphor means.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first receiving means includes a bar code scanner for scanning said bar code of a storage phosphor means read by said reader means.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said storage phosphor reader means includes a housing, translation means within said housing for translating a storage phosphor means past an image converting position, image converting means at said image converting position for converting a stored x-ray image in a translated storage phosphor means into said x-ray image signal, wherein said first receiving means includes a bar code scanner mounted within said housing for reading said storage phosphor identifying bar code means, and wherein said second receiving means includes a bar code scanner station on the outside of said reader housing for receiving said hand-held bar code scanner means.

4. A computed radiography patient identifying method comprising:

producing a stored x-ray image of a patient in a storage phosphor;

providing unique bar code identifying means for identifying, respectively, said patient, said storage phosphor and the particular body part and particular x-ray exposure conditions for producing said x-ray image from respective sets of body parts and x-ray exposure conditions;

at the time of producing said x-ray image in said storage phosphor, using a hand-held bar code scanner having memory to scan said patient bar code identifying means, said storage phosphor bar code identifying means, and said body part and x-ray exposure conditions bar code identifying means, to produce patient identifying information, storage phosphor identifying information, and body part and x-ray exposure conditions identifying information which is stored in said memory;

reading said stored x-ray image in said storage phosphor and converting it to an x-ray image signal and reading said storage phosphor bar code identifying means to produce a storage phosphor identifying signal matched with said x-ray image signal; and

contemporaneously with said reading of said storage phosphor, reading from said hand-held bar code scanner said storage phosphor identifying information, said patient identifying information and said x-ray image producing conditions information, and matching said information with said x-ray image signal from said storage phosphor.

5. A computer radiography patient identifying system comprising:

first and second patient identifying bar code means for identifying first and second patients;

first and second storage phosphor means for storing an x-ray image of a patient, said first and second storage phosphor means having respective first and second storage phosphor bar code identifying means for identifying the respective first and second storage phosphor means;

a mobile x-ray source having associated therewith first and second sets of x-ray examination type bar code identifying means for identifying first and second different examination types;

a hand-held bar code scanner means, having memory, which (1) at the time said mobile x-ray source is used to produce an x-ray image of a first patient in said first storage phosphor means, to scan said first storage phosphor bar code identifying means, said first patient bar code identifying means, and a selected one of each of said first and second sets of examination type bar code identifying means to produce information identifying said first patient, said first storage phosphor means and said selected one of said first and second examination types, and for storing said information in said memory, and (2) at the time said mobile x-ray source is used to produce an x-ray image of a second patient in said second storage phosphor means to scan said second storage phosphor bar code identifying means, said second patient bar code identifying means, and a selected one of each of said first and second sets of examination type bar code identifying means to produce information identifying said second patient, said second storage phosphor means, and said selected ones of said first and second examination types, and for storing said information in said memory;

storage phosphor reader means for sequentially converting a stored x-ray image in said first storage phosphor means into a first x-ray image signal and a stored x-ray image in said second storage phosphor means into a second x-ray image signal, said storage phosphor reader means having means for reading said first and second storage phosphor bar code identifying means to produce identifying information for each of said first and second x-ray image signals; and

means for receiving, at the time said first and second storage phosphor means are read, from said hand-held bar code scanner memory, said information relating to the first patient identification, the first storage phosphor identification and the first x-ray examination type, and information relating to the second patient identification, the second storage phosphor identification and the second x-ray examination type and for matching said received information with the respective first and second x-ray image signals.