Workflow optimization for high throughput imaging environments
First Claim
1. A medical diagnostic imaging system for acquiring images of a patient, the imaging system being coupled to a hospital network which hospital network includes a hospital database which stores patient data including patient images, and a plurality of hospital computers, the imaging system comprising:
- a scanner which scans the patient using a selected examination protocol to generate image data;
a scanner control which controls the scanner, the scanner control being coupled to the scanner and the hospital network;
a display,an applications database which is configurable by a user;
an examination protocol database which stores a plurality of examination protocols;
an interface which causes the display to display interactive user interface screens on the display, which user interface screens allow the user to configure the applications database, enter a patient'"'"'s limiting parameters, select from the plurality of selectable examination protocols, and interactively control the scanner by activating icons and buttons displayed thereon;
a computer to;
receive the patient'"'"'s limiting parameters and a nature and region of a scan by any one of;
entered by the user into data entry fields displayed on the user interface screens,from the hospital database, orfrom a remote terminal;
match the received patient'"'"'s limiting parameters and the nature and region of the scan with information stored in the examination protocol database to reduce the plurality of selectable examination protocols to a smaller, reduced set of examination protocols;
control the display to display the reduced examination protocol set;
receive an input indicative of a selected examination protocol of the displayed reduced examination protocol set;
control the scanner control such that the scanner control controls the scanner to perform the selected examination protocol which generates scan data;
a post-processor configured to reconstruct the scan data into diagnostic images, format the reconstructed diagnostic images, and control the display to display the reconstructed diagnostic images.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A medical diagnostic imaging system (10) is coupled to a hospital network (14) to optimize a throughput of a scanner (24). The hospital network includes a hospital records database (18) and a plurality of hospital computers and remote means (20). A workstation (12) is coupled to the scanner (24) and the hospital network (14) and is used to control a scanning process. The workstation (12) includes a display (44), an applications database (52), which is configurable by a user, and an interface means (48) for displaying interactive user interface screens (46) on the display (44). The interface screens (46) allow the user to configure the applications database (52) and interactively control the scanning process.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A medical diagnostic imaging system for acquiring images of a patient, the imaging system being coupled to a hospital network which hospital network includes a hospital database which stores patient data including patient images, and a plurality of hospital computers, the imaging system comprising:
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a scanner which scans the patient using a selected examination protocol to generate image data; a scanner control which controls the scanner, the scanner control being coupled to the scanner and the hospital network; a display, an applications database which is configurable by a user; an examination protocol database which stores a plurality of examination protocols; an interface which causes the display to display interactive user interface screens on the display, which user interface screens allow the user to configure the applications database, enter a patient'"'"'s limiting parameters, select from the plurality of selectable examination protocols, and interactively control the scanner by activating icons and buttons displayed thereon; a computer to; receive the patient'"'"'s limiting parameters and a nature and region of a scan by any one of; entered by the user into data entry fields displayed on the user interface screens, from the hospital database, or from a remote terminal; match the received patient'"'"'s limiting parameters and the nature and region of the scan with information stored in the examination protocol database to reduce the plurality of selectable examination protocols to a smaller, reduced set of examination protocols; control the display to display the reduced examination protocol set; receive an input indicative of a selected examination protocol of the displayed reduced examination protocol set; control the scanner control such that the scanner control controls the scanner to perform the selected examination protocol which generates scan data; a post-processor configured to reconstruct the scan data into diagnostic images, format the reconstructed diagnostic images, and control the display to display the reconstructed diagnostic images. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of optimizing a throughput of a diagnostic image processing system, comprising the steps of:
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storing a plurality of the examination protocols in an application database in a hospital network; with one or more computers, receive patient limiting parameters of a patient to be imaged matching patient limiting parameters with the examination protocols stored in the application database, and selecting a limited number of the examination protocols based on the matching; displaying a list of the limited number of the examination protocols on a display; receiving an input indicating a selected one of the limited number of examination protocols; sending instructions to the diagnostic imaging system to performing a diagnostic imaging scan of the patient using the selected examination protocol to generate image data; reconstructing the generated image data into a diagnostic image; and displaying the diagnostic image on the display.
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14. A medical diagnostic imaging system coupled to a hospital network, wherein the hospital network interconnects a hospital archive database, computers, computer displays, and a diagnostic scanner which scans a patient using a selected examination protocol selected from a plurality of examination protocols stored in an examination protocol database, the medical diagnostic imaging system including:
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a display device; and a one or more computer programmed to; match patient size, patient age, radiologist identification, radiologist preferences, and a nature and region of the patient to be scanned from the hospital archive database and/or entered by a clinician with the examination protocols stored in the examination protocol database to select a fraction of the plural examination protocols; generate an operator interactive display on the display device a menu of the fraction of the plurality of examination protocols; receive an input indicative of a selected one of the limited number of examination protocols on the displayed menu; implement the selected one of the examination protocols. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification