Teleradiology systems for rendering and visualizing remotely-located volume data sets
First Claim
1. A post-processing system for remotely accessing patient information and data previously acquired and electronically stored, and for remotely generating a volume data rendering result, comprising:
- at least one receiving station controllable by at least one user of said system;
at least one transmitting station physically separated from said receiving station for communicatively coupling to said receiving station through at least one network;
user interface means provided at said receiving station for enabling a user to specify at least one patient volume data set previously acquired and stored in said transmitting station, and to specify at least one request for volume data rendering comprising specifying a volume data rendering method and rendering parameters to be applied on said volume data set;
an image processor at said transmitting station interactively controllable at said receiving station to generate a partial or complete volume data rendering result in real time by processing said volume data set using said volume data rendering method and rendering parameters specified by said user;
a data transmitter provided at said transmitting station for transmitting said processed result to said receiving station; and
display means for displaying the requested rendering result and rendering parameters at said receiving station.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A teleradiology system provides the capability of rendering and studying of a remotely located volume data without requiring transmission of the entire data to the user'"'"'s local computer. The system comprises: receiving station (300) under the control of a user (400); transmitting station (100); the connecting network (200); the user interface (32) with functionality of controlling volume data rendering, transmission, and display; and the interface with patient data source (10). The teleradiology system of the invention provides an integrated functionality of data transmission of current teleradiology systems and volume data rendering/visualization of current volume data rendering/visualization systems. The system may be readily used with an intranet, the internet (including the internet2) or via a direct dial-up using a telephone line with a modem, and can serve as an enterprise-wide PACS and may be readily integrated with other PACS and image distribution systems. Software of this system can be centrally installed and managed and can be provided to the user'"'"'s local computer on an as-needed basis. Furthermore, the software for the user'"'"'s computer is developed to use with standard web browser. This system provides a secure, cost-effective, widely-accessible solution for data rendering and visualization. It provides a suitable image distribution method for medical image data, for medical data repository, and for the electronic medical record (or the computerized patient record). It allows healthcare providers (e.g., radiologists, other physicians, and supporting staffs) to render and study remotely located patient data at the locations of their choices.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A post-processing system for remotely accessing patient information and data previously acquired and electronically stored, and for remotely generating a volume data rendering result, comprising:
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at least one receiving station controllable by at least one user of said system;
at least one transmitting station physically separated from said receiving station for communicatively coupling to said receiving station through at least one network;
user interface means provided at said receiving station for enabling a user to specify at least one patient volume data set previously acquired and stored in said transmitting station, and to specify at least one request for volume data rendering comprising specifying a volume data rendering method and rendering parameters to be applied on said volume data set;
an image processor at said transmitting station interactively controllable at said receiving station to generate a partial or complete volume data rendering result in real time by processing said volume data set using said volume data rendering method and rendering parameters specified by said user;
a data transmitter provided at said transmitting station for transmitting said processed result to said receiving station; and
display means for displaying the requested rendering result and rendering parameters at said receiving station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
security and data management means for preventing an unauthorized user from gaining access to said data set from said system.
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3. The system of claim 2 wherein:
said security and data management means further include means for employing firewalls during the data transmission and/or for encrypting demographic of said data set.
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4. The system of claim 1 further including:
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Means included in said transmitting station for compressing data to be transmitted;
means for transmitting said compressed data from said transmitting station to said receiving station through said network; and
means included in said receiving station for decompressing said transmitted data.
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5. The system of claim 4 wherein:
said compressing means and decompressing means are operable in accordance with each of a plurality of compression/decompression methods, the particular method used being alternatively selected by said user through said user interface, or by an automated computer program.
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6. The system of claim 1 wherein:
said receiving station includes means for computing the remaining part of said rendering result.
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7. The system of claim 1 wherein:
said system'"'"'s software is installed, managed and upgraded at one of said stations, the software for the other station being alternatively supplied at each time of use over said network or on a permanent basis.
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8. The system of claim 1 further including:
management and software distribution means included in said system for charging the use of said system alternatively on per license basis or on per use basis.
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9. The system of claim 1 wherein:
said system has a plurality of operation modes, the particular operation mode used being alternatively selected by said user through said user interface, or by an automated computer program.
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10. The system of claim 1 wherein:
said receiving station is provided with software which is usable with a web browser.
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11. The system of claim 1 wherein:
said receiving stations comprises one of multiple receiving stations interconnected by said network so that the input and the display at one of said receiving stations can be viewed by other of said receiving stations.
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12. The system of claim 1 further including:
data transmission means for transmitting images with progressive refinement.
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13. The system of claim 1 wherein:
said user interface means includes image processing tools and data editing tools for editing said data set.
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14. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the data transmission is controlled by the transmission parameters, said transmission parameters being alternatively selected by said user through said user interface, or by an automated program.
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15. The system of claim 1 wherein:
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said user interface means comprises means for enabling said user to specify different data rendering requests resulting from different rendering parameters, different rendering methods, and/or different data sets from one or multiple data acquisition methods, and to specify a method to integrate said different data rendering results into at least one composite rendering result; and
said display means for presenting at said receiving station said composite rendering result and a plurality of parameters used for generating said composite rendering result.
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16. The system of claim 1, wherein said display means, user interface means and image processor are configured for enabling said user to interactively view said displayed requested rendering result and parameters and specify adjusted volume data rendering methods and parameters to generate updated rendering results.
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17. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitting station and said image processor are couplable to a plurality of receiving stations for serving multiple receiving stations concurrently.
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18. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitting station is implemented with a plurality of computers.
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19. A method for locally generating a volume data rendering result in accordance with a remote request for processing of previously acquired and locally stored patient information and data, comprising:
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locally storing at least one patient volume data set;
locally receiving an identification of at least one specified patient volume data set and at least one request for volume data rendering from a remote user, the request for volume data rendering comprising a volume data rendering method and rendering parameters to be applied on said specified patient volume data set;
locally generating a partial or complete volume data rendering result in real time by processing said specified patient volume data set using said volume data rendering method and rendering parameters received from said remote user; and
locally transmitting said processed result for remotely displaying said requested rendering result and said rendering parameters. - View Dependent Claims (20)
locally receiving new requests for volume data rendering interactively issued by said remote user based on feedback from said displayed requested rendering result and said rendering parameters, said new requests comprising an adjusted volume data rendering method and adjusted rendering parameters;
locally generating an updated partial or complete volume data rendering result in real time by processing said specified patient volume data set using said adjusted volume data rendering method and adjusted rendering parameters; and
repeating said new requests for volume data rendering and said generation of said updated partial or complete volume data rendering result until a desired rendering result is achieved.
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Specification