Imaging system for displaying image information that has been acquired by means of a medical diagnostic imaging device

• US 6,359,612 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1999
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Hausmann, Richard, Peter, Fritz
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US09/408,964
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/179, 345/358, 434/367, 463/36, 382/288, 348/14, 348/18
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• 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

Abstract

An imaging system for displaying image information that has been acquired by a medical diagnostic imaging device, has at least one projection surface, to which a projection device is allocated for purposes of reproducing image information on the projection surface. For controlling the reproduction of the image information, an optical detector detects gestures of an operator, and a control unit evaluates the output data of the detector for controlling the reproduction of the image information.

Claims

1. An imaging system for displaying image information acquired using a medical diagnostic imaging device, said imaging system comprising:

a projection surface;

a projection device having a field of view directed at said projection surface for reproducing medical diagnostic image information in a first area on said projection surface and for reproducing operating fields in a second area on said projection surface separate from said first area, said operating fields having respective operating functions allocated thereto which alter said reproduction of said image information;

a hand held pointer;

an optical detector having a field of view encompassing an operator holding said pointer, said optical detector detecting movement and positioning of said pointer by said operator over said operating fields and generating output data dependent on said movement and positioning of said pointer; and

a control unit supplied with said output data for controlling reproduction of said image information by said projection device dependent on said movement and positioning of said pointer over said operating fields.

2. An imaging system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control unit includes an image editing unit, and wherein said control unit controls said image editing unit dependent on said output data.

3. An imaging system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control unit includes an image retrieval unit, and wherein said control unit controls said image retrieval unit dependent on said output data.

4. An imaging system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control unit includes an image mixing unit, and wherein said control unit controls said image mixing unit dependent on said output data.

5. An imaging system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control unit includes a speech recognition circuit for detecting speech by said operator, said speech recognition circuit generating speech-dependent output data, and wherein said control unit evaluates said speech-dependent output data and additionally controls said projection device according to said speech-dependent output data.

6. An imaging system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said control unit comprising means for producing and storing alphanumeric representations of said speech-dependent output data allocated to the medical diagnostic image information displayed on said projection screen by said projection device.

7. An imaging system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said control unit comprises a voice recognition circuit for identifying the voice of said operator.

8. An imaging system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projection device reproduces said operating fields with respective operating field images corresponding to standardized computer image control icons.

9. An imaging system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said control unit interprets said output data to control said reproduction of said image information by correlating said movement and said positioning of said pointer to operation of a computer mouse.

10. An imaging system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said control unit interprets a pause over a selected one of said operating fields for a predetermined time duration as a simulation of a mouse click of said computer mouse.