Medical image interpreting apparatus and cursor-moving method

• US 8,188,971 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshia
• Inventors: Kawakami, Jun, Niwa, Kenichi, Masuzawa, Takashi, Minakuchi, Maki, Kondo, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abebe, Sosina
• Application Number:
  US11/685,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20070219651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 700/83, 715/856, 715/781
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

In the medical image interpreting apparatus having a pointing device for moving a cursor, medical image, interpretation report, and cursor are displayed on a display screen, and initial movement information and information on the destination of movement of the cursor are linked and stored, via the pointing device when the cursor begins to move, said initial movement information relevant to the initial movement is retrieved to obtain the linked information on the destination of movement and the cursor is moved to the destination of movement indicated in the obtained information on the destination of movement. Due to this, just by slightly moving the cursor, the cursor jumps to the desired destination of movement, therefore, it becomes possible to omit an operation of the pointing device in between. Due to this, the operation load of the pointing device is reduced, thus preventing an operator'"'"'s thought in creating an interpretation report from being destructed, and the enhancement in interpreting efficiency and the reduction of interpretation mistakes are achieved.

Claims

1. A medical image interpreting apparatus for supporting interpretation of medical images and creation of an interpretation report, comprising:

a pointing device configured to move a cursor;

a display part configured to display said medical images, said interpretation report, said cursor, and at least a set of areas on at least one display screen, said medical images being separate from said interpretation report;

a button corresponding to each of said set of areas, each button corresponding to one of the medical images and the interpretation report, respectively;

a determining part configured to determine movement of said cursor with respect to one of said areas; and

a cursor moving part configured to move said cursor onto an other of said set of areas, when said determining part determines that said cursor has moved onto one of said set of areas, wherein

said cursor moving part is configured to move said cursor onto said other of said set of areas corresponding to a pressed button, when said determining part determines that said cursor has moved onto one of said areas and any one of said buttons has been pressed.

2. A medical image interpreting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an area generating part configured to preliminarily cause said display part to display one of said set of areas among said set of areas, and configured to cause said display part to display a designated region as the other of said set of areas, when the designated region is designated on said display screen, wherein

said determining part determines whether said cursor has made a drag-movement to one of said set of areas while maintaining a drag-state of said medical image, and

said cursor moving part moves said cursor onto the other of said set of areas while maintaining said drag-state, when said determining part determines that said drag-movement has been made.

3. A medical image interpreting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display part includes a plurality of monitors that each display one of the medical images and the interpretation report, and each of the plurality of monitors displays one of the areas.

4. A cursor-moving method of a medical image interpreting apparatus that has a pointing device for moving a cursor and supports the interpretation of a medical image and the creation of an interpretation report, comprising:

displaying said medical image, said interpretation report, said cursor, and a set of areas on at least one display screen, said medical images being separate from said interpretation report,

determining movement of said cursor with respect to said set of areas, and

moving said cursor onto an other of said set of areas, when it is determined that said cursor has moved onto one of said set of areas, wherein

said medical image interpreting apparatus further comprises a plurality of input buttons, each input button being preliminarily associated with one of said set of areas and each of the plurality of input buttons corresponding to one of the medical images and the interpretation report, respectively, and

moving said cursor onto an area of said set of areas corresponding to a pressed button, when it is determined that said cursor has moved onto one of said set of areas and any one of said buttons has been pressed.

5. A cursor-moving method according to claim 4, further comprising:

displaying one of said set of areas preliminarily,

displaying a designated region as the other of said set of areas, when the designated region is designated on said display screen,

determining whether said cursor has made a drag-movement to one of said set of areas while maintaining a drag-state of said medical image, and

moving said cursor onto the other of said set of areas while maintaining said drag-state, when determined that said drag-movement has been made.