Integrated film and filmless image display system

• US 6,031,516 A
• Filed: 07/02/1998
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stair Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Thomas W. Leiper
• Inventors: Leiper, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US09/109,674
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 345/115, 345/116, 345/352, 707/501
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 23/08 in which pictures are attached to a movable carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/08 Visualisation of records by optical means

Abstract

An integrated film and filmless image display system is provided comprising a film image display unit having a film viewer for displaying a plurality of film images, a computer system having a filmless image display unit for displaying a plurality of filmless images, and a controller for controlling display of either the film images or the filmless images, wherein either the plurality of film images or the plurality of filmless images are indexed relative to the other.

Claims

1. An integrated film and filmless image display system, comprising:

a film image display unit having;

illumination means;

an endless film transport belt having a plurality of positions;

a motor for driving the belt;

means for retaining film images to said film transport belt; and

each of said plurality of positions having an address information encoded thereon, a detector for reading address information on said plurality of positions, a motor controller responsive to said detector for controlling said motor to position said film transport belt with a selected position located in front of said illumination means; and

a computer system having a filmless image display unit for displaying a plurality of filmless images, said computer system being provided with random access memory and means for digital data storage, said computer system having an interface connected to said film image display unit motor controller to transmit a selected address information to said motor controller to cause said motor to operate to position said film transport belt at a selected address.

2. The integrated film and filmless image display system according to claim 1, said further comprising a handheld controller unit for controlling display of one or both of said film images and said filmless images.

3. The integrated film and filmless viewer according to claim 2, wherein said film transport belt is controlled to present films relating to a patient for viewing when filmless images relating to the said patient are simultaneously viewed in said filmless image display unit.

4. The integrated film and filmless viewer according to claim 3, wherein said film transport belt is controlled to present films relating to the patient for viewing by a slow panning motion, when the number of patient films exceed the space available before illumination means.

5. The integrated film and filmless image display system according to claim 2 wherein said handheld controller controls display of said film images independent of control of said filmless images.

6. An integrated film and filmless display system, comprising:

a computer system having at least one image display unit, and means for digital data storage;

a motorized film viewer having illumination means, and an endless belt, said belt having a plurality of positions thereon, said belt being movable by operation of a motor to cause one or more said plurality of positions to be located in front of said illumination means, said motor being controlled by a motor controller;

a series of filmless images stored in said means for digital data storage;

a series of film images mounted to said endless belt;

an index table stored in said computer system, said index table containing;

an identification of one or more filmless image series names,

an identification of each image in said one or more filmless image series,

an identification of the position of film images mounted to said endless belt for one or more of said filmless images;

a filmless display controller for selecting images to be displayed from said series of filmless images;

said computer system determining the filmless image selected for display, and selecting a film image for display in said motorized film viewer by selecting the related film image position from said index table and transmitting the film image position to said motor controller to cause said motor controller to position the film image in front of said illumination means.

7. An integrated film and filmless display system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said motorized film viewer further comprises position identifying markings applied to said belt, and a belt marking reader, whereby said motor controller can control positioning of a film image position by a feedback loop control.

8. An integrated film and filmless display system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said film images are provided with a bar code label identifying a patient name, an identification of the series, and a position of the film image in the series, and wherein said integrated film and filmless display system further comprises a bar code reader for reading said bar code labels to enter such information into fields in said index table.

9. A method for simultaneous display of film and filmless images, comprising the steps of:

loading digital filmless images into a digital data storage unit in a computer system, said filmless images having associated information identifying the filmless images;

providing a film image viewer having a belt with a plurality of film image holding positions;

placing film images, which film images are related to the filmless images, upon said belt;

creating an index table from information associated with said filmless images, said index table entering into the index table in the computer system information identifying the film images and the film image holding position of the film images; and

selecting filmless images for display, said computer system determining a related film image from said index table, said computer system controlling said belt to position said belt with an indexed film image displayed in said film image viewer.

10. An integrated film and filmless image display system, comprising:

a film image display unit having;

illumination means;

an endless film transport belt having a plurality of positions;

a motor for driving the belt;

means for retaining film images to said film transport belt; and

each of said plurality of positions having an address information encoded thereon, a detector for reading address information on said plurality of positions, a motor controller responsive to said detector for controlling said motor to position said film transport belt with a selected position located in front of said illumination means;

a computer system having a filmless image display unit for displaying a plurality of filmless images, said computer system being provided with random access memory and means for digital data storage, said computer system having an interface connected to said film image display unit motor controller to transmit a selected address information to said motor controller to cause said motor to operate to position said film transport belt at a selected address;

a handheld controller for controlling display of one or both of said film images and said filmless images; and

an indexing table relating selected film images to selected filmless images, said computer system controlling display of both said selected film and filmless images, said computer system causing display of a related film or filmless image as determined by said indexing table when a filmless or film image is selected for display.

11. The integrated film and filmless image display system according to claim 10, wherein said handheld controller comprises:

a finger operated display control for generating commands for controlling display of the filmless images in said filmless image display unit and for generating commands for controlling display of film images in said film viewer, said controller having a mode selection switch for selecting which of said film images and filmless images are to be controlled by said display control.

12. The integrated film and filmless image display system according to claim 10, wherein said display control comprises a mode selection switch which is operable to generate commands to cause said computer system to control viewing of said plurality of filmless images displayed in said filmless image display unit or of said plurality of film images.

13. The integrated film and filmless image display system according to claim 12, wherein said display control has a default mode of operation to control said film image display unit when no film images are loaded to said computer system random access memory.

14. The integrated film and filmless image display system according to claim 12, wherein the mode selection switch presents a user thereof with a plurality of modes, and in which control of said film image display unit is presented as a mode which may be selected earlier in a mode listing if there are four or fewer images in a clipboard viewer.

15. The integrated film and filmless image display system according to claim 12, wherein the mode selection switch presents a user thereof with a plurality of modes, and in which control of said film image display unit is not presented as a mode which may be selected if there are no film images relating to a particular patient as determined in said indexing table.

16. An integrated film and filmless image display system, comprising:

a film image display unit having;

illumination means;

an endless film transport belt having a plurality of positions;

a motor for driving the belt;

means for retaining film images to said film transport belt; and

each of said plurality of positions having an address information encoded thereon, a detector for reading address information on said plurality of positions, a motor controller responsive to said detector for controlling said motor to position said film transport belt with a selected position located in front of said illumination means;

a computer system having a filmless image display unit for displaying a plurality of filmless images, said computer system being provided with random access memory and means for digital data storage, said computer system having an interface connected to said film image display unit motor controller to transmit a selected address information to said motor controller to cause said motor to operate to position said film transport belt at a selected address; and

a handheld controller for controlling display of one or both of said film images and said filmless images, said handheld controller comprising;

a finger operated display control for generating commands for controlling display of the filmless images in said filmless image display unit and for generating commands for controlling display of film images in said film viewer, said controller having a mode selection switch for selecting which of said film images and filmless images are to be controlled by said display control.