Medical image handling system and method

• US 9,036,945 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takekoshi, Koji, Tago, Akira, Sato, Makoto, Sakai, Keiichi, Sako, Tsukasa, Takahashi, Kazuhiko, Guo, Muling
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, Randolph I
• Application Number:
  US13/296,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20120069048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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

A medical image handling system includes a monitor for displaying a medical image, an input device for inputting an image reading report corresponding to the medical image displayed on the monitor, and a processor. The processor judges the presence or absence of an image reading report corresponding to the medical image displayed on the monitor, and restricts a change of the medical image in a case where the image reading report is judged as being absent.

Claims

1. A medical image handling system, comprising:

an image display unit adapted to display a taken image and a time-differential image corresponding to the taken image on an image frame of a monitor; and

an image switching unit adapted to, in case of switching the taken image to be displayed by said image display unit from a first taken image to a second taken image, switch the time-differential image to be displayed by said image display unit from the time-differential image corresponding to the first taken image to the time-differential image corresponding to the second taken image in linkage with the switching from the first taken image to the second taken image,

wherein, in a case where a link inhibition flag is off, the taken image is switched by the image switching unit and the time-differential image is switched by the image switching unit in linkage with the switching of the taken image in response to a switching instruction for the taken image, and

in a case where the link inhibition flag is on, only the taken image is switched by the image switching unit but the time-differential image is inhibited from being switched even if the switching instruction for the taken image is issued.

3. The medical image handling system according to claim 1, further comprising a restriction unit adapted to restrict the switching of said image switching unit on the basis of a user instruction.

2. A medical image handling method, comprising the steps of:

displaying a taken image and a time-differential image corresponding to the taken image on an image frame of a monitor; and

in case of switching the taken image to be displayed on the monitor from a first taken image to a second taken image, switching the time-differential image to be displayed on the monitor from the time-differential image corresponding to the first taken image to the time-differential image corresponding to the second taken image in linkage with the switching from the first taken image to the second taken image,

wherein, in a case where a link inhibition flag is off, the taken image is switched and the time-differential image is switched in linkage with the switching of the taken image in response to a switching instruction for the taken image, and

in a case where the link inhibition flag is on, only the taken image is switched but the time-differential image is inhibited from being switched even if the switching instruction for the taken image is issued.

4. The medical image handling method according to claim 2, further comprising restricting the switching of the display of the time-differential image on the basis of a user instruction.

5. A medical image handling system, comprising:

an image display unit adapted to display a taken image and a time-differential image corresponding to the taken image on an image frame of a monitor; and

an image switching unit adapted to switch display of the taken image and the time-differential image on the monitor,

wherein, in a case where the taken image taken in a latest inspection is switched by said image switching unit to the taken image taken in a most-recent previous inspection in a state in which the time-differential image obtained between the taken image taken in the latest inspection and the taken image taken in the most-recent previous inspection is being displayed by said image switching unit, the time-differential image obtained between the taken image taken in the most-recent previous inspection and the taken image taken in a second-most-recent previous inspection is displayed by said image switching unit, in linkage with said switching,

in a case where a link inhibition flag is off, the taken image is switched by the image switching unit and the time-differential image is switched by the image switching unit in linkage with the switching of the taken image in response to a switching instruction for the taken image, and

in a case where the link inhibition flag is on, only the taken image is switched by the image switching unit but the time-differential image is inhibited from being switched even if the switching instruction for the taken image is issued.

6. A medical image handling method which is applied to a medical image handling system including a monitor, comprising:

an image display step of displaying a taken image and a time-differential image corresponding to the taken image on an image frame of the monitor; and

an image switching step of switching display of the taken image and the time-differential image on the monitor,

wherein, in a case where the taken image taken in a latest inspection is switched in the image switching step to the taken image taken in a most-recent previous inspection in a state in which the time-differential image obtained between the taken image taken in the latest inspection and the taken image taken in the most-recent previous inspection is being displayed in the image switching step, the time-differential image obtained between the taken image taken in the most-recent previous inspection and the taken image taken in a second-most-recent previous inspection is displayed in the image switching step, in linkage with said switching,

in a case where a link inhibition flag is off, the taken image is switched in the image switching step and the time-differential image is switched in the image switching step in linkage with the switching of the taken image in response to a switching instruction for the taken image, and

in a case where the link inhibition flag is on, only the taken image is switched in the image switching step but the time-differential image is inhibited from being switched even if the switching instruction for the taken image is issued.

7. A medical image handling apparatus, comprising:

an image display control unit adapted to control to display a taken image and a time-differential image corresponding to the taken image on a frame of a monitor; and

an image switching unit adapted to, in case of switching the taken image to be displayed by said image display control unit from a first taken image to a second taken image, switch the time-differential image to be displayed by said image display control unit from the time-differential image corresponding to the first taken image to the time-differential image corresponding to the second taken image in linkage with the switching from the first taken image to the second taken image,

wherein, when a link inhibition is not implemented, the taken image is switched by the image switching unit and the time-differential image is switched by the image switching unit in linkage with the switching of the taken image in response to a switching instruction for the taken image, and

when the link inhibition is implemented, the taken image is switched by the image switching unit but the time-differential image is inhibited from being switched even if the switching instruction for the taken image is issued.

8. The medical image handling system according to claim 7, further comprising a restriction unit adapted to restrict the switching of said image switching unit on the basis of a user instruction.

9. A medical image handling method, comprising the steps of:

controlling to display a taken image and a time-differential image corresponding to the taken image on a frame of a monitor; and

in a case of switching the taken image to be displayed from a first taken image to a second taken image, switching the time-differential image to be displayed from the time-differential image corresponding to the first taken image to the time-differential image corresponding to the second taken image in linkage with the switching from the first taken image to the second taken image,

wherein, when a link inhibition is not implemented, the taken image is switched in said switching step and the time-differential image is switched in said switching step in linkage with the switching of the taken image in response to a switching instruction for the taken image, and

when the link inhibition is implemented, the taken image is switched in said switching step but the time-differential image is inhibited from being switched even if the switching instruction for the taken image is issued.

10. The medical image handling method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of restricting the switching of the display of the time-differential image on the basis of a user instruction.