Multiple modality mammography image gallery and clipping system

• US 9,171,130 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Penrad Technologies Incorporated (Intelerad Medical Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Penrad Technologies Incorporated (Intelerad Medical Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gustafson, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilligan, Luke
• Application Number:
  US12/625,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,162 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20104 Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30068 Mammography; Breast
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/41 based on statistical description of texture
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients

Abstract

A system and method for analyzing and retrieving images of breast tissue abnormalities obtained from multiple sources. Providing a tool for a radiologist that includes a convenient region-of-interest association of mammogram, or other anatomical images, of an individual patient. One embodiment provides an efficient collection of all of the mammogram abnormalities for a patient. In yet another embodiment, the region-of-interest abnormalities in a single location in a patient'"'"'s tissue are correlated across a variety of imaging modalities including X-rays, mammogram, CT, ultrasound, MRI, or other imaging technologies.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing patient mammography data comprising:

obtaining a first breast tissue image according to an imaging modality, wherein the imaging modality is at least one of radiological, X-ray, computed tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance, or tomosynthesis;

selecting a computer aided diagnostic (CAD) module based on the imaging modality;

isolating, with the CAD module, a region of the first breast tissue image, the region containing an abnormality;

categorizing the abnormality according to an established lexicon;

populating lexicon descriptors for the categorized abnormality;

storing an offset location of the selected region within the first image to define a second image, the offset location comprising coordinates relative to the first image;

associating the second image with the categorized abnormality;

correlating the second image with a location on an anatomical diagram, the anatomical diagram comprising a craniocaudral view and a mediolateral view of both left and right breasts of the patient; and

generating a mark on the craniocaudral view and the mediolateral view, where visible on the craniocaudral view or mediolateral view, corresponding to the correlated location of the second image, wherein the mark can subsequently be selected to recall the second image to provide the second image for viewing.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising associating a report with the categorized abnormality.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising associating a copy of a patient correspondence letter with the categorized abnormality.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising associating a biopsy result related to the abnormality with the categorized abnormality.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first breast tissue image is at least one image selected from one of the group consisting of:

an X-ray image, a CT image, a MRI image, a pathological image and an ultrasound image.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the first breast tissue image based on a link between the first breast tissue image and the second image.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selected region of the first breast tissue image includes a region of interest.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

associating the second image with the categorization of the region of interest.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

retrieving the second image based on a request for a set of data including the categorization of the region of interest.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining at least one additional image including information related to a patient associated with the first breast tissue image;

manually selecting a region of the at least one additional image;

storing a second offset location of the selected region within the at least one additional image to define a third image.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the at least one additional image comprises text.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the at least one additional image is selected from the group consisting of an X-ray image, a CT image, a MRI image, an ultrasound image, a pathology image, a pathology report, a reporting letter, and a portion of a medical file.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising displaying thumbnail images of at least one of the first mammographic image, the second image, the at least one additional image and the third image.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the offset location comprises coordinates including a first number of pixel spaces from a first edge of the first breast tissue image and a second number of pixel spaces from a second edge of the first breast tissue image.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating a mark on the craniocaudral view and the mediolateral view comprises manually marking the location on the anatomical diagram.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating a mark on the craniocaudral view and the mediolateral view comprises marking the location on the anatomical diagram based on an estimation by a computer aided diagnostic tool.

17. A configurable mammography diagnostic system, comprising:

a plurality of electronic displays, at least one of the plurality of electronic displays configured to display a breast tissue image having at least one region of interest, the breast tissue image comprising an imaging modality of at least one of radiological, X-ray, computed tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance, or tomosynthesis; and

a processor interfaced with data storage containing instructions executable by the processor that, when executed, cause the processor to;

select a computer aided diagnostic (CAD) module based on the imaging modality;

isolate, with the CAD module, the at least one region of interest of the breast tissue image;

present a graphical user interface configured to be displayed on at least one of the plurality of electronic displays and comprising an anatomical diagram on which the at least one region of interest can be marked, the anatomical diagram comprising a craniocaudral view and a mediolateral view of both left and right breasts of the patient,

present a clipping tool with which a portion of the breast tissue image including the at least one region of interest and displayed on at least one of the plurality of electronic displays can be manually selected as a second image, the second image displayable on at least one of the plurality of electronic displays as a subset of the breast tissue image,

store an offset location of the second image within the breast tissue image as the second image, the offset location comprising coordinates relative to the breast tissue image,

link the second image to the breast tissue image,

categorize the region of interest according to an established lexicon,

populate lexicon descriptors for the categorized region of interest, and

associate the second image with a corresponding mark on the craniocaudral view and the mediolateral view, where visible on the craniocaudral view or mediolateral view, wherein the mark can subsequently be selected to recall the second image to provide the second image for viewing.

18. The configurable mammography diagnostic system of claim 17, wherein the system is connected to the image database by a network.

19. The configurable mammography diagnostic system of claim 17, wherein the breast tissue image is of a type selected from the group consisting of an X-ray image, a MRI image, an ultrasound image, a CT image, and a pathology image.

20. The configurable mammography diagnostic system of claim 17, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to present the second image based on a selection of the corresponding region of interest marked on the anatomical diagram.

21. The configurable mammography diagnostic system of claim 17, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to present the second image based on a request for a set of data including the categorization of the region of interest.

22. A computer-implemented method of correlating multiple image modalities comprising:

obtaining a first mammographic image according to an imaging modality, wherein the imaging modality is at least one of radiological, X-ray, computed tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance, or tomosynthesis;

selecting a computer aided diagnostic (CAD) module based on the imaging modality;

isolating, with the CAD module, a region of interest of the first mammographic image., the region of interest containing an abnormality;

categorizing the abnormality according to an established lexicon;

populating lexicon descriptors for the categorized abnormality;

obtaining a second mammographic image, wherein the second mammographic image is of a different modality than the first mammographic image;

manually selecting a region of the first mammographic image;

storing an offset location of the selected region within the first mammographic image to define a third image, the offset location comprising coordinates relative to the first mammographic image;

manually selecting a region of the second mammographic image;

storing a second offset location of the selected region within the second mammographic image to define a fourth image, the second offset location comprising coordinates relative to the second mammographic image;

associating the third image with an anatomical diagram, the anatomical diagram comprising a craniocaudral view and a mediolateral view of both left and right breasts of the patient;

associating the fourth image with the anatomical diagram;

associating the third image with the categorization of the abnormality;

associating the fourth image with the categorization of the abnormality;

generating a mark on the craniocaudral view and the mediolateral view, where visible on the craniocaudral view or mediolateral view, corresponding to the association of the third image with the anatomical diagram;

generating a mark on the craniocaudral view and the mediolateral view, where visible on the craniocaudral view or mediolateral view, corresponding to the association of the fourth image with the anatomical diagram; and

presenting the third image and the fourth image in a gallery based on a selection of the region of interest.