Method and apparatus for processing data in a medical information communicating system

Abstract: In a medical information communicating system, image data and image addition data acquired by modali­ ties (10a, 10b, 10n) are stored in a data base (30). An unread examination list and a read examination list are produced in the data base (30), and are transferred to work stations (25a, 25b, 25m) at a time of reading operation. List data for the read examination list is arranged in accordance with a desired priority order. Image data or the like associated with each examination list is transferred to magnetic disks (35, 36, 37, 38) from an optical disk (39).

Description: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing data in a medical information communicating system. A PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) is constructed by modalities, network interface units, a star coupler, work stations, a data base or the like. Each modality is constituted by a medical diagnosis apparatus, such as an X-ray diagnosis apparatus, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus or ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus. Image data of a patient acquired by each modality is stored in a data base. This image data is transferred via a star network constructed by a star coupler or the like. Each work station comprises a display and a console. A reading operation for image data specified through the console is executed by a doctor, a radiologist or the like. The reading operation represents a diagnosis operation for the image data of a patient. At a reading operation, retrieval data is input via the console and an examination list yet to be read (hereinafter referred to as an unread examination list) is displayed on the display. The unread examination list is constituted by image addition data concerning image data yet to be read (hereinafter referred to as unread image data). The image addition data about a plurality of patients is written on this examination list. By referring to the examination list, a doctor inputs an image number for specifying image data and performs a diagnosis by displaying image data corresponding to the input image number on the display. In referring to previous image data (hereinafter referred to as read image data), a patient previous examination list (hereinafter referred to as a read examination list) for a desired patient is displayed on the display by inputting a patient ID code and retrieval data. The read examination list is constituted by image addition data concerning the read image data. By inputting an image number, corresponding image data is displayed on the display. Accordingly, referring to the read image data, a reading operation for unread image data is performed. For a data base, an optical disk is used as a long-term storage medium for image data. On the other hand, a magnetic disk or an IC (Integrated Circuit) memory is used as a short-term or temporary storage medium. With a work station, it is desirable to promptly display an image upon request, so that a magnetic disk and/or an IC memory is used as a storage medium. Such a magnetic disk and IC memory cannot be used without limit. Further, it is not possible to determine in advance how many read image data of a patient are to be stored. Therefore, it is necessary to set the priority order for displaying image data. In other words, it is necessary to transfer in advance image data to be displayed soon from a data base to a work station by the priority order. In displaying a read examination list, it is desirable to arrange in order from an image ID code corresponding to image data having a high probability for selection. This is because there is no guarantee that the entire examination list for a desired patient can be displayed on a limited display screen. Further, in a continuous reading operation for unread image data of a plurality of patients, an unread examination list is produced in a data base in advance, and unread image data and the like are automatically prepared for transfer, thus reducing or eliminating the operation of image selection by a doctor. The document US-A 4,672,683 discloses an image retrieval and storage system which comprises image storage systems, mixing means for mixing image signals out of said storage means, display means for displaying the image formed by said mixing means and indicating means for indicating a position of a part within the schematic image displayed on said display means. A data image is retrieved and displayed when a position on the schematic image is indicated by a light pen. No hint can be found in said document with respect to an arrangement of list data of a read examination list in accordance with a desired priority. In view of the above, there is a demand for an apparatus which can improve the efficiency of a reading operation by doctors. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for processing data in a medical information communicating system. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing data in a medical information communicating system as defined in claim 1. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing data in a medical information communicating system as defined in claim 2. This invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the arrangement of a PACS; Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a work station in a PACS; Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a data base in a PACS; Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a reading operation preparing process in a data base; Fig. 5 is a flowchart of a reading operation process in a work station; Fig. 6 is a flowchart of a reading operation result storing process in a data base; Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the contents of image addition data; Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the contents of image directory data; Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the contents of an unread examination list; Figs. 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the classification of unread examination lists; Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the contents of a read examination list; Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating image addition data for every doctor ID code; and Fig. 13 is a display example illustrating an examination list of a patient in a work station. A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described referring to the accompanying drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, a PACS according to this embodiment comprises modalities (IEs) 10a, 10b, ..., 10n, network interface units (NIUs) 15a, 15b, ..., 15n, 20a, 20b, ..., 20m, 20n, a star coupler (SC) 35, work stations (WSs) 25a, 25b, ..., 25m, and a data base (DB) 30. The IEs 10a to 10n are constituted by medical diagnosis apparatus (modality) such as an X-ray diagnosis apparatus, an MRI apparatus or an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus. Image data acquired by each apparatus is stored in the DB 30. Image data is transferred via a star network constructed by the SC 35, etc. The WSs 25a to 25m each comprise a display and a console, and a reading operation is performed on each work station. The reading operation represents a diagnosis operation for the image data of a patient. As shown in Fig. 2, the WS 25a comprises a card reader 2 for reading data stored in a magnetic card (MC) 1 serving as a portable recording medium, a keyboard 3, a memory 6, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 4, a display 5, an interface 7 and a bus 8. As shown in Fig. 3, the DB 30 is constructed by an optical disk (OD) 39 serving as a main storage, magnetic disks (MDs) 35 to 38 serving as auxiliary storages, a data base controller 31, interfaces 32 to 34 and a bus 40. In accordance with request by a work station, the data base controller 31 controls data transfer between the work station and the OD 39 or the MDs 35 to 38, and the operation of the OD 39 and MDs 35 to 38. The MD 35 stores directory data and image addition data, the MD 36 an examination list, the MD 37 a reading report, and the MD 38 image data. The operation of present system will be described below. In the following description, the flowcharts shown in Figs. 4 to 6 will be referred to for explaining a reading operation preparing process in a data base, a reading operation process in a work station and a reading operation result storing process in the data base. In the reading operation preparing process in the data base, as shown in Fig. 4, image data and image addition data transferred from a modality are received and written in MDs in step A1. The contents of the image addition data is illustrated in Fig. 7. The image addition data includes information such as an image ID code and a doctor ID code in addition to those shown in Fig. 7. In step A2, image directory data for data written in the MD is obtained; this image directory data is additionally stored in a directory data storing MD. As shown in Fig. 8, the image directory data includes an examination ID code, image addition data, data representing a memory address and data representing a memory area. In step A3, list data for an examination list yet to be read (hereinafter referred to as an unread examination list) is obtained for each modality (see Fig. 9). This list data includes some information of the image addition data. The unread examination list is constituted by image addition data concerning image data yet to be read (hereinafter referred to as unread image data). It is desirable that the number and classification of unread examination lists are set in accordance with the circumstances of each hospital. For instance, there may be an unread examination list for each modality (Fig. 10A), an unread examination list for each examination portion (Fig. 10B) and an unread examination list for each doctor (Fig. 10C). The present embodiment will be described with reference to the case where an unread examination list for each modality is prepared. In step A4, image directory data of previous image data (hereinafter referred to as read image data) is retrieved using a patient ID code as retrieval data, and a patient previous examination list (hereinafter referred to as a read examination list) of the patient specified by the patient ID code is acquired (see Fig. 11). The read examination list is constituted by image addition data concerning the read image data. In step A5, list data for the read examination list is arranged in accordance with a desired priority order. Data concerning the priority order is set in advance in the DB. This priority order is set so as to arrange the list data in order, from the list data associated with image data having a high probability, to be referred by a doctor, a radiologist and the like. For instance, the priority order may be set as follows: (1) Same patient, same examination portion and same modality. (2) Same patient, same examination portion and other modality. For the same priority order, the list data are arranged from a new examination date. This priority order may differ depending on doctors and the like. As shown in Fig. 12, the priority order can be set by storing in advance data concerning the priority order in a magnetic card or the like which a doctor has, and reading out the data from the magnetic card as needed. In step A6, address data of the read examination list is written on an unread examination list (see Fig. 9). In step A7, image data and reports for a desired number of examinations are read out from an OD in accordance with the arranged order of the list data for the read examination list and are written in the MD. Preparation of a reading operation in a data base will be completed through the above sequence. In the reading operation process in a work station as shown in Fig. 5, modality names are displayed and the desired modality associated with a doctor in charge is selected in step B1. In step B2, an unread examination list by the selected modality and a corresponding examination list of each patient are requested to the DB and these lists are received from the DB. In step B3, unread image data and image addition data corresponding to desired list data, for example, head list data, for the unread examination list are requested to the DB, and these data is received from the DB. In step B4, an examination list for a desired patient is displayed as shown in Fig. 13. In step B5, unread image data is displayed. In step B6, the desired list data is selected from the displayed examination list. In step B7, image data corresponding to the selected list data is requested to the DB and the requested image data is then received. In step B8, the received read image data is displayed. In step B9, it is determined whether or not a reading operation has been completed. If the reading operation has not been completed yet, the sequence following step B6 will be repeated. On the other hand, if the reading operation has been completed, a reading report is produced and transferred to the DB (step B10). The reading operation process in the work station will be completed through the above sequence. In the reading operation result storing process in the data base as shown in Fig. 6, the reading report transferred from the WS is received and stored in the OD in step C1. In step C2, the diagnosis results of the reading report are written on the read examination list. The process shown in Fig. 6 will be completed through the above two steps. By executing the processes shown in Figs. 4 to 6 reading operation for a desired patient is completed. According to this embodiment, as described above, an unread examination list and a read examination list are produced by specific image addition data (patient ID code), so that the examination efficiency can be improved. In a data base, during production of the unread examination list and read examination list, image data and a report for each examination list, are transferred from an OD to an MD. The image data and report which a reference probability is high are not only transferred to the MD from the OD but are also transferred to the memory of the work station from the MD. Therefore, when the image data and report are requested, they can be displayed quickly, thus improving the reading operation efficiency. Further, selection of a referred read image is facilitated by arranging list data of a read examination list in accordance with a desired priority order. This priority order can be set in advance in the data base or can be set for each doctor. Rearrangement of the list data can be performed in the data base as well as on the work station.

Claims: A method for processing data in a medical information communication system, the method comprising the steps of: storing image data and addition data indicative of plural identification parameters of the image data, the image data including previously read image data and unread image data; generating a first list of a part of the unread image data which are selected in accordance with a desired one of the identification parameters and generating a second list of a part of the previously read image data which are selected in accordance with a desired one of the identification parameters; rearranging the addition data included in the second list, thereby generating a third list of a part of the previously read image data; and displaying said first and third lists and unread and previously read image data which are selected by using the first and third lists; the method being characterized in that the addition data is rearranged according to a probability in which the previously read image data is referred to in reading the unread image data, thereby causing the third list to contain data which have a higher probability of being required. An apparatus for processing data in a medical information communication system, the apparatus comprising: storing means (30) for storing image data and addition data indicative of plural identification parameters of the image data, the image data including previously read image data and unread image data; generating means (30) for generating a first list of a part of the unread image data which are selected in accordance with a desired one of the identification parameters and generating a second list of a part of the previously read image data which are selected in accordance with a desired one of the identification parameters; rearranging means (25a ..., 25m) for rearranging the addition data included in the second list, thereby generating a third list of a part of the previously read image data; and displaying means (25a, ..., 25m) for displaying said first and third lists and unread and previously read image data which are selected by using the first and the third lists; the apparatus being characterized in that the rearrangement means causes the addition data to be rearranged according to a probability in which the previously read image data is referred to in reading the unread image data, thereby causing the third list to contain data which have a higher probability of being required. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising plural modality means (10a,..., 10n) for acquiring the image data of a patient and the addition data. The apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the storing means (30) includes an optical disk (39) and a magnetic disk (35, 36, 37, 38). The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image data is transferred from the optical disk (39) to the magnetic disk (38) in accordance with the probability so that a part of the previously read image data which have a higher probability are stored in the magnetic disk (38). A medical information communication system comprising a data processing apparatus according to claim 2 and further comprising: data base means (30) for storing the image data and the addition data for generating the first and second lists; work station means (25a, ..., 25m) for accessing the database means (30) to display the first and the unread image data, said database means (30) generating the third list; and the second list and the read image data are retrieved by said workstation means (25a, ..., 25m) from said database means (30) when the first list and the unread image data are displayed. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said generating means (30) generates the first list which is formed of the unread image data which are acquired by a given modality means and the second list which is formed of the read image data for a given patient; and said rearranging means (25a, ...., 25m) rearranges the addition data included in the second list according to a name of said given modality means and an examination portion of the patient to be imaged. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said rearranging means (25a, ...., 25m) comprises means for designating the probability used for generating the third list for every doctor. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said designating means comprises a portable data storage card for storing the relationship between the doctor and the probability.

Inventors: EMA TAKEHIRO, EMA, TAKEHIRO, EMA, TAKEHIRO C/O INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIVISION
Applicants: TOSHIBA KK, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Application year: 1989
Main classification: G06F17
IPC codes: G06Q50, G06F17, A61B5, G06F19