Medical image interpreting apparatus and cursor-moving method

• US 8,330,717 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Jun, Niwa, Kenichi, Minakuchi, Maki, Kondo, Takashi, Masuzawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abebe, Sosina
• Application Number:
  US12/889,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20110075898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-159, 345163-167, 715/810, 715/856, 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

In the medical image interpreting apparatus having a pointing device for moving a cursor, medical image, interpretation report, and cursor are displayed on a display screen, and initial movement information and information on the destination of movement of the cursor are linked and stored, via the pointing device when the cursor begins to move, said initial movement information relevant to the initial movement is retrieved to obtain the linked information on the destination of movement and the cursor is moved to the destination of movement indicated in the obtained information on the destination of movement. Due to this, just by slightly moving the cursor, the cursor jumps to the desired destination of movement, therefore, it becomes possible to omit an operation of the pointing device in between. Due to this, the operation load of the pointing device is reduced, thus preventing an operator'"'"'s thought in creating an interpretation report from being destructed, and the enhancement in interpreting efficiency and the reduction of interpretation mistakes are achieved.

Claims

1. A medical image interpreting apparatus for supporting interpretation of medical images and creation of an interpretation report, comprising:

a pointing device configured to move a cursor;

a work area storage part configured to store a work area associated with a prescribed process;

a display part configured to display said medical images, said work area, said interpretation report, and said cursor on a display screen, said work area being separate from said interpretation report;

a selection part configured to select a character string in the interpretation report and one of said medical images; and

a link part configured to set a linkage between said selected medical image and said selected character string according to said prescribed process, when said selected medical image is dragged and dropped into said work area separate from said interpretation report,

wherein the work area is a predetermined region devoid of any interpretation report.

2. A medical image interpreting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a stored work incorporation destination includes said character string on said interpretation report.

3. A medical image interpreting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein selected data includes the selected medical image.

4. A medical image interpreting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a stored work incorporation destination includes said character string on said interpretation report,

selected data includes the selected medical image, and

said prescribed process is linkage of the selected medical image to said work incorporation destination.

5. The medical image interpreting apparatus of claim 1, wherein

said selection part is further configured to obtain position information of said selected character string as a work incorporation destination, when said selected character string is selected by the selection part, and

said link part is further configured to set the linkage between said selected medical image and said selected character string according to said prescribed process with reference to said position information.

6. A medical image interpreting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the work area is displayed on the display screen next to the medical images and the predetermined region is smaller than a size of the medical images displayed on the display screen.

7. A cursor-moving method of a medical image interpreting apparatus that has a pointing device for moving a cursor and supports the interpretation of medical images and the creation of an interpretation report, comprising:

storing a work area associated with a prescribed process in said medical image interpreting apparatus;

displaying said medical images, said work area, said interpretation report, and said cursor on a display screen, said work area being separate from said interpretation report;

selecting a character string in the interpretation report and one of said medical images; and

setting a linkage between said selected medical image and said selected character string according to said prescribed process, when said selected medical image is dragged and dropped into said work area separate from said interpretation report,

wherein the work area is a predetermined region devoid of any interpretation report.

8. The cursor-moving method of claim 7, wherein

said selecting a character string further includes obtaining position information of said selected character string as a work incorporation destination, when said selected character string is selected, and

said setting further includes setting a linkage between selected medical image and said selected character string according to said prescribed process with reference to said position information.