SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING A TEACHING FILE MESSAGE

• US 20090130641A1
• Filed: 11/21/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Siddiqui, Khan, Whipple, Jeffrey James, Mahesh, Prakash, Kariathungal, Murali
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/262
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

Certain embodiments present a system for generating a medical teaching file message. An image identifier labels medical images based upon information pertaining to user interaction with the image. The system also provides an image search engine that scans and indexes images within a database based on a set of rules. The image search engine generates a subset of images from a larger group of medical images within a database based upon the rules. The system also includes a supporting data selection engine for accepting a free text search query from an interface. The supporting data selection engine scans medical databases based on the free text search query, and provides the supporting data search results via an interface. A teaching file message is generated either automatically or manually from the subset of images and the supporting data search results for transmission to a teaching file.

Claims

1. A system for generating a medical teaching file message, said system comprising:

an image identifier providing an image label to each of a group of medical images within an image database based at least in part upon said image information;

a rule based image search engine searching medical images within an image database based on a set of rules and generating a subset of medical images from said group of medical images based upon said selection engine rules;

an interface for displaying said medical images,

wherein said image search engine populates said interface with the images from said image subset, said interface allowing a user to select medical images from said subset for inclusion in a medical teaching file message for transmission to a teaching file server.

2. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 1, wherein said system operates on a picture archiving and communication system.

3. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 1, further comprising an image viewer for accessing, viewing and editing said medical images from said image database.

4. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 1, wherein said image identifier provides a label that is based at least in part upon a user'"'"'s interaction with said medical image via an image viewer.

5. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 4 wherein said image identifier provides a label that identifies at least one of image view time, image processing tools used, and image hits.

6. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 1, further comprising a network server providing access to said system via a plurality of interfaces on a plurality of workstations.

7. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 1, wherein said selection engine rules are modifiable by a user via said interface.

8. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 1, wherein all of said images from said image subset are automatically included in a teaching file message for transmission to a teaching file.

9. A system for generating a medical teaching file message, said system comprising:

an image identifier providing an image label to each of a group of medical images within an image database based at least in part upon said image information;

a rule based image search engine searching medical images within an image database based on a set of rules and generating a subset of medical images from said group of medical images based upon said selection engine rules;

an interface configured to accept search criteria, display search results and display said medical images,

a supporting data selection engine accepting a free text search query from said interface, said free text search query based on search criteria entered via said interface, said search engine communicating with a search crawler; and

a search crawler searching electronic medical record data based on the free text search query, said electronic medical record data including at least alphanumeric data and image data, and providing supporting data search results consolidating supporting data through the free text search.

wherein said image search engine and said supporting data selection engine populate said interface with the images from said image subset and said supporting data search results via said interface, allowing a user to select medical images and supporting data for inclusion in a medical teaching file message for transmission to a teaching file.

10. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 9, wherein said system operates on a picture archiving and communication system.

11. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 9, further comprising an image viewer for accessing, viewing and editing said medical images from said image database.

12. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 11, wherein said image identifier provides a label that is based at least in part upon a user'"'"'s interaction with said medical image via said image viewer.

13. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 9, wherein the interface comprises a web interface.

14. The system for generating a medical teaching file message of claim 9, wherein said selection engine rules are modifiable by a user via said interface.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising a formatter for formatting the search results for display via the interface.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein a teaching file message comprising the images from said image subset and said supporting data search results is automatically generated.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein said search crawler searches both alphanumeric and image data based on said search query.

18. A method for automatically generating a teaching file message on a picture archiving and communication system during a medical interpretation process comprising the following steps:

recording image information for each image viewed during the medical interpretation process;

generating a subset of the images viewed during the medical interpretation process according to image search rules;

receiving a supporting data search query through an interface based on one or more search terms;

crawling one or more databases associated with one or more healthcare information systems to identify relevant supporting data based on said search query;

populating an interface with said image subset and said relevant supporting data; and

assembling a teaching file message via said interface and transmitting said message to a teaching file server.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of formatting said relevant supporting data as search results for output.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said image search rules are based upon an image search query entered via said interface.