System and method for storing and displaying ultrasound images
First Claim
1. Apparatus for displaying ultrasound video images comprising, in combination:
- means for capturing analog video signals representing ultrasound images of a specific subject and converting the analog video signals into digital data signals representing the ultrasound images;
means for associating the digital data signals with an identifier indicating the specific subject;
means for storing the digital data signals and the identifier in a memory;
means for retrieving and reviewing the digital data signals as full motion/still frame video images displayed on a display surface;
means for associating an annotation with one or more frames of the video images, the annotation being stored in an annotation file associated with the data, and including fields to identify an annotation type and an image frame number to identify the image frame in the digital data to which the annotation is related;
the annotation type identifying an icon associated with the annotation type; and
the annotation icon being displayed on an annotation time line when the digital data is queued for review.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for recording and displaying ultrasound images. The system includes a database server, an ultrasound image capture station and an ultrasound image review station. The ultrasound images are captured from an analog video signal stream output by an ultrasound machine and converted into compressed digital data preferably in MPEG format. The compressed digital data is archived to a compact disc recordable medium for permanent storage. The ultrasound images may be annotated by a sonographer as they are captured. The sonographer selects an annotation icon from a predefined list of icons to highlight points of interest in an ultrasound scan. The system also includes a demographic data module for tracking captured ultrasound scans, and a clinical data module for reporting ultrasound findings and diagnoses. The advantages include reduced storage requirements because of the elimination of video tape; more accurate tracking of ultrasound scans; easier review due to perfect still frames, random access, annotated highlights and zoom capability; faster more accurate reporting of findings and diagnosis; and, the ability to share ultrasound images over local and wide area networks.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. Apparatus for displaying ultrasound video images comprising, in combination:
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means for capturing analog video signals representing ultrasound images of a specific subject and converting the analog video signals into digital data signals representing the ultrasound images; means for associating the digital data signals with an identifier indicating the specific subject; means for storing the digital data signals and the identifier in a memory; means for retrieving and reviewing the digital data signals as full motion/still frame video images displayed on a display surface; means for associating an annotation with one or more frames of the video images, the annotation being stored in an annotation file associated with the data, and including fields to identify an annotation type and an image frame number to identify the image frame in the digital data to which the annotation is related; the annotation type identifying an icon associated with the annotation type; and the annotation icon being displayed on an annotation time line when the digital data is queued for review. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. Apparatus for displaying ultrasound video images comprising, in combination:
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means for capturing analog video signals representing ultrasound images of a specific subject and converting the analog video signals into digital data signals representing the ultrasound images; means for associating the digital data signals with an identifier indicating the specific subject; means for storing the digital data signals and the identifier in a memory; means for retrieving and reviewing the digital data signals as full motion/still frame video images displayed on a display surface; and means for generating a report of clinical findings and diagnosis related to a particular ultrasound scan to which the ultrasound images are related, including a point and click interface for selecting findings relevant to the particular ultrasound scan to which the ultrasound images are related, the point and click interface including a data tree in which buttons indicate anatomical structures and branches for specifying and describing the anatomical structures. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for storing and displaying clinical ultrasound images associated with an ultrasound scan, comprising, in combination:
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at least one database server for storing patient data related to the ultrasound images; at least one ultrasound capture station for capturing an analog video image stream from an ultrasound machine and converting the analog video image stream into digital data representative of the ultrasound video images, the capture station including means for displaying the ultrasound images; means for networking the database server and the capture station so that the database server and the capture station can communicate; and a clinical data module having a point and click interface to facilitate reporting a diagnosis of the ultrasound scan, the point and click interface including a data tree structure for storing clinical data relevant to the ultrasound scan, and descriptive phrases may be selected for inclusion in a report by traversing the data tree by selecting successive elements from the tree using a computer pointing device connected to the capture station. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for displaying ultrasound video images, comprising:
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an ultrasound image review screen having an ultrasound image display area and a plurality of annotation time lines displayed outside the ultrasound image display area, the plurality of annotation time lines providing a display area for annotation icons which are displayed in a relative position on the plurality of annotation time lines to indicate a relative position of an annotation associated with the annotation icon in the video images; and each of the respective annotation time lines is used to display one or more predefined types of annotation icon, each respective type of annotation icon being associated with only one annotation time line. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. Apparatus for displaying ultrasound video images, comprising:
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an ultrasound image review screen having an ultrasound image display area; and a point and click interface to facilitate reporting a diagnosis of the ultrasound scan, the point and click interface including a data tree structure for storing clinical data relevant to the diagnosis of the ultrasound scan, and descriptive phrases selectable for inclusion in a diagnostic report by traversing the data tree while selecting successive elements from the tree using a point and click device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification