Report generation support apparatus, report generation support system, and medical image referring apparatus

• US 8,634,611 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2009
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2008
• 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: Minakuchi, Maki, Niwa, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bitar, Nancy
• Application Number:
  US12/536,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20100034442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

A first display displays a medical image based on medical image data. A second display displays a generation screen for generating a string of a medical imaging report. A display controller causes the first display and the second display to display images. An operation part is for operating a pointer displayed on the first display and the second display. An annotation generator receives designation of a position on the medical image displayed on the first display by using the pointer, and attaches sign data representing a position specification sign to the medical image data. An address information acquiring part acquires address information for reading out the medical image data to which the sign data is attached. A linking part links the address information to a link object such as a string designated by using the pointer and displayed on the generation screen displayed on the second display.

Claims

1. A report generation support apparatus, comprising:

A first display configured to display a medical image based on medical image data;

a second display configured to display a generation screen for generating a string of a medical imaging report;

a display controller configured to cause the first display and the second display to display an image;

an operation part for operating a pointer displayed on the first display and the second display;

an annotation generator including a position specifying part configured to receive designation of a position on the medical image displayed on the first display by using the pointer and specifying the position of the medical image data of a portion corresponding to the medical image at the position, and attach to the medical data, the annotation data representing a position specifying annotation that makes it possible to view the position on the medical image based on the position of the medical image data of the portion specified by the position specifying part;

an address information acquiring part configured to acquire address information for reading out the medical image data to which the annotation data is attached;

a linking part configured to link the address information to a link object such as a string designated by using the pointer on the generation screen displayed on the second display; and

a sign attaching part configured to base on the designation of the position on the medical image and a designation of the link object corresponding to the designation of the position attach a unique identification sign indicating a correspondence relation between the generated position specifying annotation and the designated link object to the designated position both on the medical image and to a position of the designated link object;

wherein when receiving designation of the corresponding link object after the linking, based on designation of the position on the medical image and designation of the link object corresponding to the designation of the position, the display controller refers to the medical image data to which the annotation data linked to the link object is attached and highlights the position specifying annotation indicating the position on the medical image corresponding to the link object.

2. The report generation support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

a display controller receives attachment of the annotation data to the medical image data by the annotation generator, and displays the position specifying annotation based on the attached annotation data, on the medical image displayed on the first display.

3. The report generation support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the annotation generator receives designation of a region on the medical image, and sets the annotation indicating the designated region as the position specifying annotation.

4. The report generation support apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the annotation generator receives selection of either attachment of the position specifying annotation to the designated position on the medical image or attachment of the position specifying annotation indicating the region, and attaches the selected position specifying annotation.

5. The report generation support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the annotation generator causes the first display to display a plurality of types of previously stored annotations and, in response to selection of the type of annotation, attaches data indicating a position on the medical image to the selected type of annotation, thereby setting it as the annotation data.

6. The report generation support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the annotation generator outputs the annotation data to the display controller; and

the display controller causes the first display to display the annotation data.

7. A report generation support system, comprising:

a medical image diagnosis apparatus configured to generate a medical image;

a medical image referring apparatus configured to display a medical image generated by the medical image diagnosis apparatus;

a report generating apparatus configured to display a screen for generating a medical imaging report based on the medical image displayed by the medical image referring apparatus; and

an operation part for operating a pointer displayed on a display of the medical image

referring apparatus and a display of the report generating apparatus, wherein;

the medical image referring apparatus has;

a position specifying part configured to receive designation of a position on the medical image by using the pointer, and specify the position of medical image data of a portion corresponding to the medical image in the position; and

an annotation generator including the specified position configured to attach annotation data for representing a position specifying annotation that makes it possible to view the position on the medical image based on the position of medical image data of the specified portion, to the medical image data; and

the report generating apparatus includes;

an address acquiring part configured to acquire a storing destination address of the medical image data to which the annotation data is attached; and

a linking part configured to, when a link object such as a string displayed on the generation screen is designated by using the pointer, link the storing destination address to the link object; and

a sign attaching part configured to, based on the designation of the position on the medical image and a designation of the link object corresponding to the designation of the position, attach a unique identification sign indicating a correspondence relation between the generated position specifying annotation and the designated link object to the designated position both on the medical image and to a position of the designated link object;

wherein when receiving designation of the corresponding link object after the linking, based on designation of the position on the medical image and designation of the link object corresponding to the designation of the position, the display refers to the medical image data to which the annotation data linked to the link object is attached and highlights the position specifying annotation indicating the position on the medical image corresponding to the link object.

8. A medical image referring apparatus, comprising:

a display configured to display a medical image;

an operation part for operating a pointer displayed on the display a position specifying part configured to receive designation of a position on the medical image by using the pointer, and specify the position of medical image data of a portion corresponding to the medical image in the position;

an annotation generator including a position specifying part configured to attach annotation data for representing a position specifying annotation that makes it possible to view the position on the medical image based on the position of medical image data of the specified portion, to the medical image data, and

a sign attaching part configured to, based on the designation of the position on the medical image and a designation of the link object corresponding to the designation of the position, attach a unique identification sign indicating a correspondence relation between the generated position specifying annotation and the designated link object to the designated position both on the medical image and to a position of the designated link object;

wherein when receiving designation of the corresponding link object after the linking, based on designation of the position on the medical image and designation of the link object corresponding to the designation of the position, the display refers to the medical image data to which the annotation data linked to the link object is attached and highlights the position specifying annotation indicating the position on the medical image corresponding to the link object.

9. A report generation support apparatus, comprising:

a first display configured to display a medical image based on medical image data;

a second display configured to display a generation screen for generating a medical imaging report

a display controller configured to cause the first display and the second display to display an image;

an operation part for operating a pointer displayed on the first display and the second display;

an annotation generator including a position specifying part configured to, receive designation of a position on the medical image displayed on the first display and specifying the position of the medical image data and in response to operation input of the pointer for linking the medical image data of the medical image displayed on the first display to the medical imaging report, attach, to the medical image data, annotation data representing a position designated by the operation input on the medical image displayed on the first display and making it possible to view the position on the medical image;

a linking part configured to link the medical imaging report to the medical image data for the operation input; and

a sign attaching part configured to, based on the designation of the position on the medical image and a designation of the link object corresponding to the designation of the position, attach a unique identification sign indicating a correspondence relation between the generated position specifying annotation and the designated link object to the designated position both on the medical image and to a position of the designated link object;

wherein when receiving designation of the corresponding link object after the linking, based on designation of the position on the medical image and designation of the link object corresponding to the designation of the position, the display controller refers to the medical image data to which the annotation data linked to the link object is attached and highlights the position specifying annotation indicating the position on the medical image corresponding to the link object.

10. The report generation support apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the linking part stores the medical image data for the operation input into an image storing region of the medical imaging report for the operation input.

11. The report generation support apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an address information acquiring part configured to acquire address information for reading out the medical image data for the operation input, wherein the linking part stores reduced image data of the medical image data for the operation input into an image storing region of the medical imaging report for the operation input, and links the address information to the reduced image data.

12. The report generation support apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an address information acquiring part configured to acquire address information for reading out the medical image data for the operation input, wherein the linking part links the address information for the operation input to at least part of a string of the medical imaging report for the operation input designated and inputted by the operation part.

13. The report generation support apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in response to the attachment of the annotation data by the annotation generator, the first display displays the annotation data.