Multi-modality medical image layout editor

• US 10,387,612 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Wu, Xiangyu, Sukalac, Ronald, Nortmann, Charles, Cochoff, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, Bo Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/351,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20090213034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,875 Days
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A medical imaging system comprises one or more displays. A viewer device generates an interactive user interface screen on the display, which viewer device enables a user to simultaneously inspect selected image data of multiple patients or multiple images. A layout editor generates a layout editor user interface in the user interface screen, which layout editor device enables the user to create and/or modify a layout of the selected image data on the display.

Claims

1. A medical imaging visualization system for displaying volumetric image data of a patient generated by one or more medical imaging modalities to diagnose or treat a medical condition of the patient, the system comprising:

a display;

a viewer device for generating an interactive user interface screen on the display, which viewer device enables a user to inspect selected portions of the volumetric image data on the display in an image display area;

a layout editor device for generating a layout editor user interface in the interactive user interface screen on the display, which layout editor device enables the user to at least one of create and modify a layout of the image display area on the display;

wherein the layout editor user interface comprises;

a layout design area displaying a layout of the image display area including one or more tiles, wherein the layout editor device enables the user to configure a placement and a sizing of the tiles in the layout design area, and each one of the tiles is able to accommodate one or more viewers, such that the viewer device enables the user to inspect selected volumetric image data in the image display area as they appear in the layout design area; and

a configuration area displayed concurrently with the layout design area in the layout editor user interface, wherein the configuration area comprises a preview window which enables the user to configure a viewer with a current configuration of the viewer as applied to the selected volumetric image data before the configured viewer is associated with one of the tiles in the layout design area.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selected volumetric image data is obtained by fusing first image data obtained using a first imaging modality and second image data obtained using a second imaging modality.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display includes a first display and a second display, and

wherein the layout editor device enables the user to at least one of create and modify the layout of the selected volumetric image data for display on the first display and the second display.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein at least one of the first display and the second display is a virtual display.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein associating the viewer with a tile in the layout design area causes the viewer to be linked with any other viewers associated with the layout based on a predefined linking policy.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the viewer displayed in the preview window is linked to a viewer in the layout design area.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the layout editor device enables the user to save the layout to a data store.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the layout editor device enables real time visualization of modifications made to the layout by the user, including real time display of volumetric image data in the layout design area.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selected volumetric image data is real-time image data that is being generated by at least one medical imaging modality at the same time it is displayed in the layout design area.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the viewer comprises a series of images over time.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the viewer is a numerical viewer.

12. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the configuration area is removed, the layout of the image display area is resized to fill the image display area on the display.

13. A layout editor for interfacing with a medical imaging system that generates an interactive user interface screen on a display to allow a user to inspect selected volumetric image data of a patient generated by the medical imaging system to diagnose or treat a medical condition of the patient on the display in an image display area, the layout editor comprising:

a layout editor device operable to generate a layout editor user interface in the interactive user interface screen on the display, which layout editor device enables the user to at least one of create and modify a layout of the image display area on the display;

wherein the layout editor user interface comprises;

a layout design area displaying a layout of the image display area including one or more tiles, wherein the layout editor device enables the user to configure a placement and a sizing of the tiles in the layout design area, and each one of the tiles is able to accommodate one or more viewers, such that the viewer device enables the user to inspect selected volumetric image data in the image display area as they appear in the layout design area; and

a configuration area displayed concurrently with the layout design area in the layout editor user interface, wherein the configuration area comprises a preview window which enables the user to configure a viewer with a current configuration of the viewer as applied to the selected volumetric image data before the configured viewer is associated with one of the tiles in the layout design area.

14. A method for displaying volumetric image data of a patient generated by one or more medical imaging modalities to diagnose or treat a medical condition of the patient, the method comprising:

generating an interactive user interface screen on a display to enable a user to inspect selected portions of the volumetric image data on the display in an image display area;

generating a layout editor user interface in the user interface screen which includes a layout design area and a configuration area displayed concurrently with the layout design area in the layout editor user interface;

creating or modifying a layout of selected image data using the layout editor user interface, wherein the layout comprises one or more tiles appearing in the layout design area and having a placement and a sizing which may be modified, and each one of the tiles is able to accommodate one or more viewers, such that the viewer device enables the user to inspect selected volumetric image data in the image display area as they appear in the layout design area;

outputting the selected volumetric image data to the display according to the layout; and

generating a preview window in the configuration area which enables the user to configure a viewer with a current configuration of the viewer as applied to the selected volumetric image data, before the configured viewer is associated with one of the tiles in the layout design area, such that the associated tile displays the selected volumetric image data in the layout design area.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the selected volumetric image data is obtained by fusing first image data obtained using a first imaging modality and second image data obtained using a second imaging modality.

16. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the layout is generated on a plurality of displays.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein at least one of the displays is a virtual display.

18. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

moving the viewer from the preview window in the configuration area to the tile in the layout design area to associate the viewer with the layout.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, further comprising:

linking the viewer with any other viewers associated with the layout based on a predefined linking policy.

20. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising linking a viewer in the preview window with a viewer in the layout design area.

21. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

saving the layout for later retrieval.

22. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising real time visualization of modifications made to the layout by the user, including real time display of volumetric image data in the layout design area.

23. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the selected volumetric image data is real-time image data that is being generated by at least one medical imaging modality at the same time it is displayed in the layout design area.

24. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the viewer comprises a series of images over time.

25. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the viewer is a numerical viewer.