Medical image processing apparatus and medical network system

• US 7,171,612 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Toda, Haruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula; Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stork; Kyle
• Application Number:
  US10/147,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20020175910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/517, 715/500, 715/523, 715/530, 715/619, 715/501.1, 707/205, 345/619, 382/132, 382/235, 382/284, 710/54
• US Class Current: 715/201
• 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: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• 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 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A medical image processing apparatus for receiving an image file including medical image information, and for processing the medical image information so as to output a processed image file. The medical image processing apparatus includes: an output queue controller for controlling an output queue to define an order for outputting plural image files; an auxiliary controller for controlling a supplementary queue to supplement the output queue; and an output apparatus for outputting at least the plural image files. A medical network system is also configured for connectting, through a network, the medical image processing apparatus and an input apparatus to which the processed image file is inputted.

Claims

1. A medical image processing apparatus for receiving an image file including medical image data corresponding to a medical image and for outputting the image file with an output format, said medical image processing apparatus comprising:

a storing section for storing a plurality of image files, including a set of plural multi-image format files designated to be formed on a single image plane in a multi-image format in which the plural multi-image format files are arranged such that each of the multi-image format files is positioned vertically or horizontally adjacent to another one of the multi-image format files in the plane of the single image plane, wherein the plural multi-image format files of the set are randomly and respectively sent to the storing section and stored among the plurality of image files;

an output queue controlling section for controlling an output queue of the plurality of image files and for controlling the storing section to output an image file in accordance with an output queue order of the image file;

an image processing section for receiving an image file from the storing section and for formatting the medical image data of the image file in an output format; and

a multi-image format queue controlling section for registering a file name of a multi-image format file to be formatted in the multi-image format on the single image plane;

wherein when a multi-image format file of the set of plural multi-image format files comes to a forefront of the output queue, the output queue controlling section outputs a file name of the multi-image format file to the multi-image format queue controlling section without outputting from the storing section the medical image data of the multi-image format file, and the multi-image format queue controlling section registers the file name of the multi-image format file;

wherein when all file names of the set of multi-image format files are registered in the multi-image format queue controlling section, the multi-image format queue controlling section controls the storing section to output to the image processing section the medical image data of the set of plural multi-image format files; and

wherein the image processing section formats the received medical image data of the set of plural multi-image format files such that the set of medical images of the received medical image data are displayed in the multi-image format on the single image plane.

2. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a format queue controlling section for controlling the image processing section in accordance with an output format for each of a plurality of output devices;

wherein when an image file is to be outputted to at least two output devices of the plurality of output devices having a same output format, the format queue controlling section controls the image processing section to format the image file in the output format of the at least two output devices and outputs the image file in the output format to the at least two output devices.

3. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the format queue controlling section controls the image processing section not to delete the image file in the output format until the format queue controlling section judges that the image file in the output format has been outputted to all the at least two output devices.

4. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the image processing section comprises a memory to store image files to be outputted to the plurality of output devices, and wherein when an available memory capacity of the memory is less than a predetermined available memory capacity, the image processing section does not format any image files for output to the plurality of output devices.

5. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the multi-image format file is to be outputted to at least one of the plurality of output devices, the format queue controlling section controls the image processing section in accordance with an output format of the at least one of the plurality of output devices.

6. A medical image processing system which is operable via a network, said medical image processing system comprising:

a storing section for storing a plurality of image files, including a set of plural multi-image format files designated to be formed on a single image plane in a multi-image format in which the plural multi-image format files are arranged such that each of the multi-image format files is positioned vertically or horizontally adjacent to another one of the multi-image format files in the plane of the single image plane, wherein the plural multi-image format files of the set are randomly and respectively sent to the storing section and stored among the plurality of image files;

an output queue controlling section for controlling an output queue of the plurality of image files and for controlling the storing section to output an image file in accordance with an output queue order of the image file;

an image processing section for receiving an image file from the storing section and for formatting the medical image data of the image file in an output format;

a multi-image format queue controlling section for registering a file name of a multi-image format file to be formatted in the multi-image format on the single image plane; and

at least one output device to output an image corresponding to the image file;

wherein when a multi-image format file of the set of plural multi-image format files comes to a forefront of the output queue, the output queue controlling section outputs a file name of the multi-image format file to the multi-image format queue controlling section without outputting from the storing section the medical image data of the multi-image format file, and the multi-image format queue controlling section registers the file name of the multi-image format file;

wherein when all file names of the set of multi-image format files are registered in the multi-image format queue controlling section, the multi-image format queue controlling section controls the storing section to output to the image processing section the medical image data of the set of plural multi-image format files; and

wherein the image processing section formats the received medical image data of the set of multi-image format files such that the set of medical images of the received medical image data are displayed in the multi-image format on the single image plane, and outputs the formatted medical image data of the set of multi-image format files to the at least one output device.

7. The medical image processing system of claim 6, wherein the at least one output device comprises a plurality of output devices, and the medical image processing system further comprising:

a format queue controlling section for controlling the image processing section in accordance with an output format for each of the plurality of output devices;

wherein when an image file is to be outputted to at least two output devices of the plurality of output devices having a same output format, the format queue controlling section controls the image processing section to format the image file in the output format of the at least two output devices and outputs the image file in the output format to the at least two output devices.