Medical multimedia database system

• US 7,080,098 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2002
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Smirniotopoulos, James G., Irvine, Henry Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Linh
• Application Number:
  US10/138,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1-1041, 705 1- 3, 705 50- 53, 705/14, 705/57, 705/80, 705 26- 27, 711117-118, 711/100, 235/492, 235/487, 345/764, 345/853, 715/501.1, 709/200, 709/204, 709217-219, 713200-201, 725139-142
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/941 Human sciences
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A medical image storage and retrieval system includes a database with relationally linked tables including a disease factoid table, an image and image caption table, and a patient data table. A flexible system allows for peer review, remote access and maintenance of the stored data, and query searching and retrieval of groups of related multimedia (image and text) case file information. The system facilitates distance learning and remote consultation.

Claims

1. A medical image database system having plural tables comprising:

a. a disease information table, operable to store plural disease factoid files;

b. an image table, operable to store plural image files each comprising at least one of an image and image caption information;

c. a patient data table, operable to store plural patient files each comprising at least one of patient information and clinical information;

wherein the disease information, image, and patient data tables are operably coupled such that a related first factoid file, a first image file and a first patient file are relationally linked to each other as a first case file;

d. a new case file creation module, operably coupled to the tables for adding a new case file in response to a user input;

e. an educational file builder module, operably coupled to the tables and new case file creation module, and operable to (i) provide selection criteria to the user for designing an educational file based in part on the new case file; and

(ii) processing selection criterion received from the user, allowing the user to add at least one of inaccurate information to or withhold omitted information from the educational file;

specifying an answer prompt, a correct answer to the answer prompt, so as to built and store the educational file; and

f. a presentation module, operable to (i) present the educational file to a further user;

(ii) capturing an answer input in response to the answer prompt; and

(iii) returning the correct answer to the further user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the new case creation module is further operably coupled to the tables for adding a new case file including factoid, image and patient data in response to a user input, the system further comprising:

a security module, operable to determine a user'"'"'s access privileges to the tables; and

a new file creation module, operably coupled to the tables for adding a new case file including factoid, image and patient data in response to a user input; and

a review module, operably coupled to the tables and the security module, and operable to provide new case files to at least one reviewer to review the content of the new case file, to receive one or more modifications from the reviewer and apply said modifications to the new case file, and to receive an approval indication from the reviewer and operate together with the security module to change one or more access privileges of the new case file.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the new case creation module is further operably coupled to the tables for adding a new patient case file including factoid, image and patient data in response to a first user'"'"'s inputs, the inputs also including a criterion for access to the patient case file by additional users, the system further comprising:

a security module, operable to determine a user'"'"'s access privileges to the tables; and

a new file creation module, operably coupled to the tables for adding a new patient case file including factoid, image and patient data in response to a first user'"'"'s inputs, the inputs also including a criterion for access to the patient case file by additional users; and

a review module, operably coupled to the tables and the security module, and operable to provide the new patient case file to at least one further user of the additional users to review the content of the patient case file, to receive one or more modifications from said further user and apply said modifications to the patient case file.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a consultation module, operably coupled to the review module and operable to provide contemporaneous access to the new patient case file to the first user and said further user and contemporaneous communications between the first user and said further user relating to the new patient case file.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a search module, operably coupled to the tables and operable to return to the further user, substantially contemporaneous with said access to the consultation module, case file information from at least one of the disease information, image, and patient data tables, in response to search criteria related to the new patient case file.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the review module further comprises logic to provide the new patient case file to a reviewer to review the content of the new patient case file, to receive modifications from the reviewer and apply said modifications to the new case file, and to receive an approval indication from the reviewer and operate together with the security module to change one or more access privileges of the new patient case file.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the educational file builder module further comprises logic for creating a sequence of related educational files, and the presentation module further comprises logic for presenting at least part of said sequence of related educational files.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

g. an expert module, operably coupled to the tables and presentation module, and operable to (i) determining an accuracy level of answer inputs for said at least part of said sequence of related educational files, and (ii) determining a next educational file to present to the further user based in part on said determined accuracy level.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the further user is a medical student and the presentation module further comprises logic for capturing answer inputs by the medical student for each of the sequence of related educational files and storing a representation of the captured answer inputs for subsequent use by an educator.

10. A medical image database system comprising:

a. plural tables, comprising (i) a disease information table, operable to store plural disease factoid files, (ii) an image table, operable to store plural image files each comprising at least one of an image and image caption information, and (iii) a patient data table, operable to store plural patient files each comprising at least one of patient information and clinical information;

wherein the disease information, image, and patient data tables are operably coupled such that a related first factoid file, a first image file and a first patient file are relationally linked to each other as a first case file;

b. a new case file creation module, operably coupled to the tables for adding a new case file in response to a user input;

c. an educational file builder module, operably coupled to the tables and new case file creation module, and operable to (i) provide selection criteria to the user for designing an educational file based in part on the new case file; and

(ii) processing selection criterion received from the user, allowing the user to add at least one of inaccurate information to or withhold omitted information from the educational file;

specifying an answer prompt, a correct answer to the answer prompt, so as to built and store the educational file; and

d. a presentation module, operable to (i) present the educational file to a further user;

(ii) capturing an answer input in response to the answer prompt; and

(iii) returning the correct answer to the further user;

wherein the educational file builder module further comprises logic for creating a sequence of related educational files, and the presentation module further comprises logic for presenting at least part of said sequence of related educational files; and

wherein the further user is a medical student and the presentation module further comprises logic for capturing answer inputs by the medical student for each of the sequence of related educational files and storing a representation of the captured answer inputs for subsequent use by an educator.

11. A method for providing remotely accessible medical image database information via a medical image database having plural tables, comprising:

a. storing plural disease factoid files in a disease information table;

b. storing plural image files each comprising at least one of an image and image caption information in an image table;

c. storing plural patient files each comprising at least one of patient information and clinical information in a patient data table;

d. operably coupling the disease information, image, and patient data tables such that an at least one factoid file, at least one image file and at least one patient file are relationally linked to each other as a first case file;

e. adding a new case file in response to a user input;

f. creating an educational file by (i) providing selection criteria to the user for designing an educational file based in part on the new case file; and

(ii) processing selection criterion received from the user, allowing the user to add at least one of inaccurate information to or withhold omitted information from the educational file;

specifying an answer prompt, a correct answer to the answer prompt, so as to built and store the educational file; and

g. facilitating learning by a further user by (i) presenting the education file to a further user;

(ii) capturing an answer input in response to the answer prompt; and

(iii) providing the correct answer to the further user in response to an incorrect answer input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein step f further comprises creating a sequence of related educational files, and step g further comprises presenting at least part of said sequence of related educational files and capturing each answer input provided in response thereto.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step g further comprises (i) determining an accuracy level of said answer inputs, and (ii) determining a next educational file to present to the further user based in part on said determined accuracy level.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the further user is a medical student and step g further comprises capturing answer inputs by the medical student for each of the sequence of related educational files and storing a representation of the captured answer inputs for subsequent use by an educator.

15. A method of facilitating learning by medical professionals regardless of distance using a medical image database having plural tables, comprising:

a. storing plural disease factoid files in a disease information table;

b. storing plural image files each comprising at least one of an image and image caption information in an image table;

c. storing plural patient files each comprising at least one of patient information and clinical information in a patient data table;

d. operably coupling the disease information, image, and patient data tables such that an at least one factoid file, at least one image file and at least one patient file are relationally linked to each other as a first case file;

e. adding a new case file in response to a user input;

f. creating an educational file by (i) providing selection criteria to the user for designing an educational file based in part on the new case file; and

(ii) processing selection criterion received from the user, allowing the user to add at least one of inaccurate information to or withhold omitted information from the educational file;

specifying an answer prompt, a correct answer to the answer prompt, so as to built and store the educational file; and

g. facilitating learning by a further user by subsequently (i) presenting the education file to the further user;

(ii) capturing an answer input in response to the answer prompt; and

(iii) providing the correct answer to the further user in response to an incorrect answer input.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein step f further comprises creating a sequence of related educational files, and step g further comprises presenting at least part of said sequence of related educational files and capturing each answer input provided in response thereto.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein step g further comprises (i) determining an accuracy level of said answer inputs, and (ii) determining a next educational file to present to the further user based in part on said determined accuracy level.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the further user is a medical student and step g further comprises capturing answer inputs by the medical student for each of the sequence of related educational files and storing a representation of the captured answer inputs for subsequent use by an educator.