Apparatus and method for storing medical information

• US 8,892,577 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukatsu, Hiroshi, Iwasa, Akira, Niwa, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rostami, Mohammad S
• Application Number:
  US12/032,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,468 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.101, 707/999.102, 707/999.103, 707/999.107, 707/999.202, 707/999.203, 707/999.204, 707/999.205
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

There are provided an input unit which inputs an object with scan information attached thereto into an image of a subject acquired on the basis of the scan information, and an insertion unit which inserts report information to the object when preparation of an image interpretation report of a study based on the image is completed.

Claims

1. A medical information storing apparatus that is connected to a report preparation support system for preparing an interpretation report and stores medical images acquired by a scan executed by a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, the medical information storing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store an object including an imaging condition used for a scan executed by the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, a positioning image used in the scan in a form of the object linking to a medical image acquired by the scan, and information to identify an imaging range of a past imaging; and

a report information insertion unit implemented by processing circuitry and configured

to receive a notice of preparation completion of an interpretation report based on the medical images from a report preparation support system, the medical images being acquired by using the object, at a timing of receiving the notice of preparation completion of the interpretation report,

to search out the object used in the acquisition of the medical images of the interpretation subject from the storage unit,

to search a past interpretation report,

to insert information to specify the interpretation report and the past interpretation report into the searched object in a case where the past interpretation report is found,

to insert information to specify the interpretation report into the searched object in a case where the past interpretation report is not found, and

to automatically update the storage unit to store an updated object with the imaging condition, the positioning image, and the information to specify the interpretation report.

2. The apparatus for storing medical information according to claim 1, wherein the report information insertion unit searches for a corresponding object from the image referred to at the time of preparation of a present report from the storage unit and inserts present report information into the object.

3. A method for storing medical information utilizing a medical information storing apparatus that is connected to a report preparation support system for preparing an interpretation report and that stores medical images acquired by a scan executed by a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, the method comprising:

acquiring an object including an imaging condition used for a scan executed by the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, a positioning image used in the scan in a form of the object linking to a medical image acquired by the scan, and information to identify an imaging range of a past imaging;

inserting report information by receiving a notice of preparation completion of an interpretation report based the medical images from a report preparation support system, the medical images being acquired by using the object, at a timing of receiving the notice of preparation completion of the interpretation report;

searching out the object used in the acquisition of the medical images of the interpretation subject from the storage unit;

searching a past interpretation report;

inserting information to specify the interpretation report and the past interpretation report into the searched object in a case where the past interpretation report is found;

inserting information to specify the interpretation report into the searched object in a case where the past interpretation report is not found; and

automatically updating the storage unit to store an updated object with the imaging condition, the positioning image, and the information to specify the interpretation report.

4. The method for storing medical information according to claim 3, wherein in the insertion, a corresponding object is searched for from the image referred to at the time of preparation of a present report from a plurality of the objects and present report information is inserted into the object.