Patent ID: 6674449
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: A61B,G06F,G09G,G16H,G16Z

Abstract:
A medical image data acquisition system interface usable with at least first and second different medical imaging data acquisition systems that include first and second data acquisition hardware configurations for acquiring data using different first and second medical image data acquisition modalities, respectively, wherein the first and second modalities may be selected from radiography, fluoroscopy, angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography and computer tomography, each modality including functions which are common to each of the first and second modalities, each separate instance of the interface used with only a specific one of the first or second modality systems and linked to a diagnostic system for acquiring data according to the specific one of the first and second acquisition modalities, the interface comprising:a display; a programmed data processor for providing a uniform interface image on the display despite the specific data acquisition modality associated with the diagnostic system linked to the interface, the uniform interface image comprising: a function navigation space including function icons corresponding to data acquisition procedures which are common to both the first and second data acquisition modalities wherein, each procedure which is common to the first and second data acquisition modalities includes procedure-specific subprocesses; and a workspace adjacent the function navigation space for displaying, analyzing and manipulating images of a type consistent with the specific data acquisition modality, wherein the workspace includes a workflow navigation space in which, when a function icon is selected, the processor displays a workflow icons set including a separate workflow icon corresponding to each subprocess of the process associated with the selected function icon and for the specific modality; and a pointing device for moving a pointer icon about the display and for selecting displayed icons; wherein, when an icon is selected, the processor correlates the selected icon with a corresponding data acquisition command and executes the command; and wherein each subprocess includes subprocess specific parameters, the workspace includes both an imaging window and a parameter setting space adjacent the imaging window and, when a workflow icon is selected, the processor displays a parameter value set and setting icons in the setting space which correspond to the subprocess specific parameters associated with the selected workflow icon, each parameter value indicating the current parameter value, the setting icons useable to modify the current parameter values.