Medical image system with progressive resolution
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of acquiring, storing, retrieving and displaying a medical diagnostic image comprising the steps ofa) acquiring said image having a first resolution, and translating said image to a predetermined digital format,b) storing said digitized image in a computer memory at a first location,c) requesting said image from a user-operated terminal having a predetermined resolution limit and located at a second location,d) creating from said digitized image, at said first location, by means of a first algorithm, a patterned and compressed representation thereof,e) transmitting from said first location to said terminal a first portion of said stored patterned representation,f) reconstructing, at said terminal, by means of a second algorithm, from said first portion of said patterned representation, a first displayable representation of said diagnostic image, said first displayable representation having a second resolution no greater than said first resolution,g) displaying said displayable representation at said terminal,h) transmitting from said first location to said terminal an additional portion of said patterned representation,i) reconstructing, at said terminal, by means of a third algorithm, from said additional portion of said patterned representation, an improved displayable representation of said image, said improved displayable representation having a third resolution greater than said second resolution,j) repeating steps g), h) and i), thereby progressively increasing the resolution of said displayed representation until said displayed resolution attains the less ofsaid first resolution of said image orsaid predetermined resolution limit of said terminal.
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Abstract
A storage, retrieval, and transmission system is configured to provide fast, efficient telecommunication access to digitized images (e.g., medical diagnostic X-ray images) to multiple requesting subscribers. Image data are downloaded, via the telephone lines, to a remote display terminal as a plurality of portions of a compressed digital image representation. Data from a first transmitted portion is used to construct a displayable image at the terminal. Data from subsequently transmitted portions are combined with the displayable image data to provide an image with an improved resolution.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of acquiring, storing, retrieving and displaying a medical diagnostic image comprising the steps of
a) acquiring said image having a first resolution, and translating said image to a predetermined digital format, b) storing said digitized image in a computer memory at a first location, c) requesting said image from a user-operated terminal having a predetermined resolution limit and located at a second location, d) creating from said digitized image, at said first location, by means of a first algorithm, a patterned and compressed representation thereof, e) transmitting from said first location to said terminal a first portion of said stored patterned representation, f) reconstructing, at said terminal, by means of a second algorithm, from said first portion of said patterned representation, a first displayable representation of said diagnostic image, said first displayable representation having a second resolution no greater than said first resolution, g) displaying said displayable representation at said terminal, h) transmitting from said first location to said terminal an additional portion of said patterned representation, i) reconstructing, at said terminal, by means of a third algorithm, from said additional portion of said patterned representation, an improved displayable representation of said image, said improved displayable representation having a third resolution greater than said second resolution, j) repeating steps g), h) and i), thereby progressively increasing the resolution of said displayed representation until said displayed resolution attains the less of said first resolution of said image or said predetermined resolution limit of said terminal.
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13. A medical diagnostic image system comprising,
computer means storing a digital representation of said diagnostic image having a first resolution, remote terminal means having a predetermined resolution limit, telecommunication means linking said computer means and said remote terminal means, said telecommunication means comprising means for creating from said digitized image, by means of a first algorithm, a patterned and compressed representation thereof, means for transmitting from said computer to said terminal a plurality of portions of said stored patterned representation, means for reconstructing at said terminal, by means of a second algorithm, from a first portion of said plurality of portions, a first displayable representation of said diagnostic image, said first displayable representation having a second resolution no greater than said first resolution, and means for reconstructing, at said terminal, by means of a third algorithm, from a second portion of said plurality of portions of said patterned representation, and said first displayable representation of said diagnostic image, a second displayable representation having a third resolution greater than said second resolution but no greater than the smaller of said first resolution and said predetermined resolution limit, and means for displaying said representation at said terminal means.
Specification