Patent Publication Number: US-2004059756-A1

Title: System for processing examinational information of medical image, and data processing apparatus in such system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus for merging examinational information data (hereinafter also referred to as “attribute information data”) which is used to identify an image (hereinafter referred to as “medical image” or “medical diagnostic image”) that is produced by a medical imaging apparatus (modality) and data of the medical image (hereinafter referred to as “medical image data”) to convert them into data of a predetermined format, and a system for processing examinational information of medical images, which system includes such a data processing apparatus.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] Heretofore, there has been put to use a conventional medical image network system that comprises a medical imaging apparatus such as an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus or the like, an RIS (Radiology Information System) server for storing and managing examinational information of medical images that are produced by the medical imaging apparatus as data (hereinafter referred to as “examinational information data”), a terminal which uses the RIS server, and a DICOM (Digital Image Communication Medicine) converter, which are interconnected by a communication link.  
       [0005] The examinational information of a medical image referred above represents information for identifying a medical image such as a patient&#39;s name, a patient&#39;s ID (Identification), or an examined spot (examined region/imaged region), etc. The DICOM converter has a function to receive data of a medical image from the medical imaging apparatus and examinational information data from the RIS server, and converts the received data into data (DICOM data) in a format (DICOM format) according to DICOM standards.  
       [0006] For inspecting a patient, e.g., imaging a local region of a patient, with the medical imaging apparatus using the above medical image network system, the operator operates the terminal, which is positioned near the medical imaging apparatus, to acquire the examinational information data that represents the information of the patient from the RIS server.  
       [0007] When the patient is examined with the medical imaging apparatus, data of the image (hereinafter referred to as “image data”) that is produced by the medical imaging apparatus and includes an image of the inspected region and character information represented by the examinational information is transmitted to the DICOM converter. When the examination of the patient with the medical imaging apparatus is finished, the terminal associated with the medical imaging apparatus indicates the end of the examination to the IRS server via the communication link.  
       [0008] The DICOM converter loads the image data received from the medical imaging apparatus in its own memory, reads the character information represented by the examinational information such as the patient&#39;s name, etc. from the loaded image data according to a character recognition program, and converts the read character information into examinational information data. Then, the DICOM converter merges the examinational information data and the image data, and transmits the merged data as DICOM-format data to a printer or the like (see Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 11-88589 for details).  
       [0009] The conventional medical image network system, however, is unable to obtain examinational information other than the character information contained in the image data (the image represented by the image data includes the image of the examined region and the character information represented by the examinational information).  
       [0010] Furthermore, since the character information is read using the character recognition program, there is a possibility that the character information may be read in error.  
       [0011] Usually, for the purpose of shortening the processing time, the image data loaded in the memory of the DICOM converter is displayed as an image on a display panel, and the operator specifies a character information area on the image displayed on the display panel to extract the desired character information from the image. However, because the position of the character information in the image displayed on the display panel differs among different individual medical imaging apparatus, the operator needs to perform a tedious and time-consuming process of specifying a character information area for each individual medical imaging apparatus.  
       [0012] One solution to the above problems is to ask the RIS server to send the examinational information data when the DICOM converter converts the data. However, when the terminal associated with the medical imaging apparatus indicates the end of the examination to the RIS server, the RIS server may operate to delete the examinational information data from its file. If the RIS server has already deleted the examinational information data, the examinational information data is no longer available from the RIS server.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus which is capable of acquiring, whenever necessary, examinational information which serves to identify an image produced by a medical imaging apparatus, and a system for processing examinational information of medical images, which system includes such a data processing apparatus.  
       [0014] A data processing apparatus according to the present invention merges image data by a medical imaging apparatus and examinational information data from a server into data in a predetermined format. The data processing apparatus has a comparing means for comparing examinational information data newly read from the server and the examinational information data that have already been stored in a local database with each other, and storing the newly read examinational information data into the local database only when the newly read examinational information data have not been stored in the local database.  
       [0015] It is thus possible to acquire desired examinational information from the local database of the data processing apparatus whenever necessary.  
       [0016] The data processing apparatus may further include a periodically data reading means for periodically reading the examinational information data from the server. Therefore, examinational information data can be acquired from the local database even if the examinational information data are deleted from the server when an examination process is put to an end.  
       [0017] The data processing apparatus may further include a list displaying means for displaying, on a display unit, a list of examinational information that is produced by merging examinational information data newly read from the server and examinational information data that have already been stored in the local database. With this arrangement, since the user of the data processing apparatus may refer to only one list displayed on the display unit, without the need for switching between and selecting a plurality of lists.  
       [0018] According to the present invention, there is also provided a system for processing examinational information of medical images, the system having a server for storing and managing examinational information data for identifying an image obtained by a medical imaging apparatus, and a data processing apparatus for merging data of the image obtained by the medical imaging apparatus and the examinational information data from the server into data in a predetermined format, the server and the data processing apparatus being connected to each other by a communication link, the data processing apparatus comprising a local database for storing and managing the examinational information data, and a comparing means for comparing examinational information data newly read from the server and the examinational information data that have already been stored in the local database with each other, and storing the newly read examinational information data into the local database only when the newly read examinational information data have not been stored.  
       [0019] The above system makes it possible to acquire desired examinational information for identifying images obtained by the medical imaging apparatus from the local database of the data processing apparatus whenever necessary.  
       [0020] The system may further includes a terminal connected to the communication link for receiving and outputting examinational information data that have been stored in the server when the medical imaging apparatus is used, and a communication monitoring device connected to the communication link for logging communication data transmitted between the terminal and the server. Based on the logged communication data, the examinational information which is highly likely to have been used by the medical imaging apparatus, i.e., the examinational information which the terminal has acquired from the server, can be acquired and used.  
       [0021] The communication monitoring device may transmit the examinational information data to the data processing apparatus when the communication monitoring device detects reception by the terminal of the examinational information data from the server. With this arrangement, the examinational information data can reliably be stored in the local database of the data processing apparatus.  
       [0022] The communication monitoring device may send a command to the server to copy predetermined data included in the examinational information data stored in the server to the local database when the communication monitoring device detects data communications between the terminal and the server. With this arrangement, the examinational information data can also reliably be stored in the local database of the data processing apparatus.  
       [0023] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0024]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a medical image network system incorporating a system for processing examinational information of medical images according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0025]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the medical image network system shown in FIG. 1;  
     [0026]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of functions that are performed by a data processing apparatus of the medical image network system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;  
     [0027]FIGS. 4 and 5 are flowcharts of an operation sequence of the medical image network system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;  
     [0028]FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a medical image network system incorporating a system for processing examinational information of medical images according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0029]FIGS. 7 and 8 are flowcharts of an operation sequence of the medical image network system shown in FIG. 6;  
     [0030]FIG. 9 is a flowchart of another operation sequence of the medical image network system shown in FIG. 6; and  
     [0031]FIG. 10 is a flowchart of still another operation sequence of the medical image network system shown in FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0032] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference FIGS. 1 through 10. Like or corresponding parts are denoted by like or corresponding reference characters throughout views.  
     [0033]FIG. 1 schematically shows a medical image network system  10  incorporating a system for processing examinational information of medical images according to an embodiment of the present invention. The medical image network system  10  may be installed in general hospitals, university hospitals, health insurance centers, etc.  
     [0034]FIG. 2 shows in block form the medical image network system  10  illustrated in FIG. 1.  
     [0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the medical image network system  10  basically comprises a server  14  for storing and managing examinational information as data (hereinafter referred to as “examinational information data”), a medical imaging apparatus  16  for capturing an image of an examined region of a patient, merging the captured image (examinational image) and character information represented by the examinational information data, and outputting the merged data as image data, and a data processing apparatus  18  disposed physically in the vicinity of the medical imaging apparatus  16  for merging the image data output from the medical imaging apparatus  16  and the examinational information data output from the server  14 , and converting the merged data into data in a DICOM format (also referred to as “DICOM data”).  
     [0036] As shown in FIG. 2, the medical imaging apparatus  16  is locally connected to the data processing apparatus  18  by an interface  27 . The data processing apparatus  18  and various devices including the server  14  are connected to each other by a communication link  12  such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the like. The medical imaging apparatus  16  may also be connected to the communication link  12 . The medical imaging apparatus  16  has input units, such as a keyboard and a magnetic card reader, and a display unit (not shown).  
     [0037] The examinational information that is stored and managed by the server  14  includes information representing a patient&#39;s name, a patient&#39;s ID, a gender, a date of birth, a doctor in charge, an examined spot (examined region), a medical imaging apparatus ID, an examined date, an examined department (clinical department), an applied radiation dosage, etc.  
     [0038] To the communication link  12 , there are connected a server terminal  21  for inputting patient&#39;s registered information into the server  14  with an input device such as a keyboard or the like, a terminal  22  (of the server  14 ) disposed near the medical imaging apparatus  16  for outputting registered information stored in the server  14  as examinational information data through the communication link  12  to a display unit  22   d  of the terminal  22 , a magnetic card, or the like when the medical imaging apparatus  16  is to be used, a data storage unit  24  for storing data in the DICOM format (DICOM data) output from the data processing apparatus  18 , and a printer  26  for printing an image based on data in the DICOM format.  
     [0039] A request for printing an image is entered from an input unit  42  of the data processing apparatus  18  or a remote panel  25  as a remote input unit that is disposed near the medical imaging apparatus  16  and connected to the data processing apparatus  18  by a cable and an interface  29 .  
     [0040] Each of the server  14 , the medical imaging apparatus  16 , the data processing apparatus  18 , the terminals  21 ,  22 , the data storage unit  24 , and the printer  26  has the function of a computer that automatically performs series of calculations and process data according to a program.  
     [0041] If the medical image network system  10  is installed in a medical center such as a hospital, then the medical imaging apparatus  16 , the terminal  22 , and the remote panel  25  are typically positioned in an image capturing room, the terminal  21  at a reception desk, the data storage unit  24  and the printer  26  in a consultation room, and the server  14  and the data processing apparatus  18  in an administration room.  
     [0042] In the present embodiment, the server  14  comprises an RIS ((Radiology Information System) server for managing patient&#39;s names, patient&#39;s IDs, and examinational records. Therefore, the terminals  21 ,  22  function as RIS terminals. In the present embodiment, the medical imaging apparatus  16  comprises a non-DICOM-modality MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus for outputting an analog video signal representing a medical image (diagnostic image) of an imaged region, i.e., an examined region (diagnosed region) such as a patient&#39;s local body region, and transmitting the analog video signal through a cable to the data processing apparatus  18 .  
     [0043] The data processing apparatus  18  may comprise a DICOM converter. Data output from the data processing apparatus  18  may be in other formats than the DICOM format, e.g., a postscript format and NEMA (the National Electrical Manufacturers Association) format.  
     [0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the data processing apparatus  18  is connected to the medical imaging apparatus  16  by the interface (I/F)  27 . The interface  27  includes an A/D converter for converting an analog video signal supplied from the medical imaging apparatus  16  into a digital video signal representing image data. The data processing apparatus  18  is also connected to the communication link  12  by another interface (I/F)  28 . The data processing apparatus  18  has a CPU (Central Processing Unit)  32  which controls all components of the data processing apparatus  18  through a bus  38  based on various programs stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory)  34  and a HD (Hard Disk)  36  while referring to a clock  48 . The CPU  32  also performs various image processing sequences, communication processing sequences, and data processing sequences, using a RAM (Random Access Memory)  40  as a working memory.  
     [0045] Furthermore, the CPU  32  interprets input commands supplied from the input unit  42  such as a keyboard, a mouse, etc. and displays an examined image (diagnostic image) on a display unit  44  such as a CRT or the like. The CPU  32  also manages a local database  46  that is assigned a certain area of the hard disk  36  and stores examinational information data received from the server  14  through the communication link  12 .  
     [0046]FIG. 3 shows in block form functions that are performed by the data processing apparatus  18  including the CPU  32  that executes programs to process data.  
     [0047] As shown in FIG. 3, the data processing apparatus  18  has a comparing means  51 , a periodically data reading means  52 , and a list displaying means  53 , each serving as a means for performing a certain function.  
     [0048] The comparing means  51  compares examinational information data that is newly read from the server  14  through the communication link  12  with examinational information data that have already been stored in the local database  46 , and stores the newly read examinational information data into the local database  46  only when the newly read examinational information data have not been stored in the local database  46 .  
     [0049] The periodically data reading means  52  periodically reads examinational information data from the server  14  through the communication link  12 .  
     [0050] The list displaying means  53  displays, on the display unit  44 , a list of examinational information that is produced by merging examinational information data that are newly read from the server  14  through the communication link  12  and examinational information data that have already been stored in the local database  46 .  
     [0051] Operation of the medical image network system  10  will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 in connection with a process in which a patient who visits a hospital is diagnosed by a doctor, an examined image (diagnosed image) of the patient is captured by an imaging technician, a hard copy of the captured examined image is produced by the printer  26 , and DICOM data thereof is stored in the data storage unit  24 .  
     [0052] First, the patient is accepted by the reception desk in the hospital, and then goes to a consultation room where the patient is diagnosed by the doctor. If the doctor decides that the patient should need a local body region thereof to be imaged, the doctor puts down the decision on the patient&#39;s medical record, which is handed over to the operator of the terminal  21 . The terminal  21  is connected to the server  14  through the communication link  12 .  
     [0053] The operator sees the description on the patient&#39;s medical record and inputs various items of examinational information, including the patient&#39;s acceptance number, the patient&#39;s name, the patient&#39;s ID, the gender, the date of birth, the patient&#39;s height and weight, the blood type, the examined department, the examined region, the imaging technician, the examined data, etc., into the terminal  21  using input units  21   i  thereof, such as a keyboard, a mouse, etc.  
     [0054] The data of the examinational information (hereinafter referred to as “examinational information data”) thus input into the terminal  21  are stored and registered in the server  14  through the communication link  12  in step S 1  shown in FIG. 4.  
     [0055] When the patient arrives at the room (image capturing room) where the medical imaging apparatus  16  is installed, the imaging technician operates the medical imaging apparatus  16  by inputting the patient&#39;s acceptance number, the patient&#39;s name, or the patient&#39;s ID into the terminal  22  using input units  22   i  thereof. Then, the terminal  22  acquires the examinational information data from the server  14  through the communication link  12 , and displays the acquired examinational information on the display unit  22   d  in step S 11 .  
     [0056] More specifically, while viewing the display unit  22   d,  the patient&#39;s medical record, the patient itself, the imaging technician uses the input units  22   i  to manually input necessary examinational information data into the medical imaging apparatus  16 . If the patient&#39;s medical record is in the form of an electronic record, such as a magnetic card record, then the imaging technician operates a magnetic card reader to input necessary examinational information data into the medical imaging apparatus  16 . In this manner, the terminal  22  acquires the examinational information data from the server  14  through the communication link  12 .  
     [0057] In step S 12 , the imaging technician operates the medical imaging apparatus  16  to capture an image of the patient&#39;s local body region, thus examining the patient with the medical imaging apparatus  16 . The medical imaging apparatus  16  merges character information representing the examinational information data and the captured image into image data, and loads the image data into a memory such as a RAM or the like thereof.  
     [0058] The examination of the patient with the medical imaging apparatus  16  is now finished. In step S 13 , the imaging technician inputs an end of the examination using the medical imaging apparatus  16  from the input units  22   i.    
     [0059] In step S 14 , the imaging technician operates the remote panel  25  to enter a request for printing and storing an image represented by the image data that has been generated by the medical imaging apparatus  16  in step S 12 . At this time, the image data that has been generated by the medical imaging apparatus  16  is converted by the medical imaging apparatus  16  into an analog video signal, which is then transmitted to the data processing apparatus  18 .  
     [0060] The end of the examination using the medical imaging apparatus  16 , which has been input in step S 13 , is received by the server  14  through the communication link  12  in step S 2 .  
     [0061] Having received the end of the examination, the server  14  deletes the examinational information data that have been registered in step S 1  in step S 3 . The examinational information data are deleted when the end of the examination is received because the storage capacity of a hard disk as a storage device of the server  14  can be saved by deleting the examinational information data that are no longer necessary.  
     [0062] The CPU  32  as it functions as the periodically data reading means  52  of the data processing apparatus  18  periodically acquires new examinational information data (examinational information data newly registered in the server  14 ) from the server  14  while referring to the clock  48 .  
     [0063] The periodic interval, i.e., the interval at which the new examinational information data are to be acquired from the server  14 , can be set and changed by the user using the data processing apparatus  18  depending on the frequency with which the examinational information data are to be updated in the server  14 , the frequency being variable depending on the number of patients to be examined per unit time and the scale of the facility where the medical image network system  10  is installed.  
     [0064] In the medical image network system  10  according to the present embodiment, the interval at which the new examinational information data are to be acquired from the server  14  is set to a period of time shorter than the minimum period from the time when examinational information data are registered in server  14  in step S 1  until the time when the end of the examination is received in step S 2 . Stated otherwise, the minimum period is a period until the examinational information data input from the terminal  21  in step S 1  are deleted from the server  21  in step S 3 . The interval at which the new examinational information data are to be acquired from the server  14  is set to the period that is shorter than the minimum period and in which examinational information data are present of necessity in the server  14 . For example, the new examinational information data are acquired from the server  14  at an interval of 10 minutes. The interval of 10 minutes is employed because it necessarily takes at least 10 minutes to acquire examinational information data that have been registered in the server  14  through the terminal  22  into the medical imaging apparatus  16 , inspect the patient (image the patient in the present embodiment) with the medical imaging apparatus  16 , and obtain image data of the examined body region with the data processing apparatus  18 .  
     [0065] In step S 22 , the CPU  32  as it functions as the comparing means  51  compares the examinational information data newly read in step S 21  and the examinational information data that have already been registered in the local database  46  with each other, and stores the newly read examinational information data into the local database  46  only when the newly read examinational information data have not been stored in the local database  46 .  
     [0066] By thus updating the data stored in the local database  46 , it is possible to acquire, whenever necessary, examinational information data for identifying images obtained by the medical imaging apparatus  16 .  
     [0067] Actually, after the data stored in the local database  46  have been updated in step S 23 , the doctor or the imaging technician operates the remote panel  25 , which is ancillary to the data processing apparatus  18 , to enter, in step S 14 , a request for printing and storing an image represented by the image data that has been generated by the medical imaging apparatus  16 .  
     [0068] In step S 24 , the data processing apparatus  18  receives the request entered in step S 14  for printing and storing the image from the remote panel  25 , and converts the analog video signal received from the medical imaging apparatus  16  into a digital video signal with the interface  27 , and loads image data represented by the digital video signal into the RAM  40 . The data processing apparatus  18  displays an image represented by the image data stored in the RAM  40  on the display unit  44 .  
     [0069] The image displayed on the display unit  44  comprises character information (the patient&#39;s name, the patient&#39;s ID, etc.) based on the examinational information data that the terminal  22  has received from the server  14  in step S 11  and also an image of the examined spot (examined region) of the patient.  
     [0070] In step S 25 , the data processing apparatus  18  retrieves the examinational information from the server  14  using the ID (identification information) of the medical imaging apparatus  16  which has been received in step S 24  as a retrieval key.  
     [0071] Then, the data processing apparatus  18  displays the examinational information retrieved from the server  14  as a list of images on the display unit  44  in step S 26 , following the connector  1 , shown in FIG. 5.  
     [0072] The data processing apparatus  18  retrieves the examinational information from the server  14  in step S 25  for the following reasons: The request for printing and storing an image in step S 14  may often be entered before the end of the examination is input in step S 13 . In such a case, since the examinational information data have not yet been deleted from the server  14  in step S 3 , the examinational information data may often remain registered in the server  14 .  
     [0073] In step S 27 , the operator, e.g., the imaging technician, of the data processing apparatus  18  visually compares the character information (the patient&#39;s name, the patient&#39;s ID, etc.) and the image (displayed image) of the examined spot (examined region) of the patient with the list of images on the display unit  44 . The character information and the image of the examined spot, and the list of images are displayed as split images on the same screen of the display unit  44 . The operator determines whether the list contains the examinational information data corresponding to the displayed image or not, and enters YES (affirmative) or NO (negative) with the input unit  42 .  
     [0074] If the negative answer is entered, then the data processing apparatus  18  retrieves examinational information data from the local database  46  using the ID of the medical imaging apparatus  16  received in step S 24  as a retrieval key in step S 28 .  
     [0075] The examinational information data retrieved from the local database  46  are displayed as a list on the display unit  44  in step S 29 . Specifically, the CPU  32  as it functions as the list displaying means  53  displays examinational information that is produced by merging the examinational information data newly read from the server  14  and the examinational information data that has already been stored in the local database  46 , as a single list on the display unit  44 .  
     [0076] In step S 30 , the operator of the data processing apparatus  18  visually compares the character information (the patient&#39;s name, the patient&#39;s ID, etc.) and the image (displayed image) of the examined spot (examined region) of the patient with the list of examinational information retrieved from local database  46  on the display unit  44 . The operator determines whether the list contains the examinational information data corresponding to the displayed image or not, and enters YES (affirmative) or NO (negative) with the input unit  42 .  
     [0077] If the negative answer is entered, then the data processing apparatus  18  displays an examinational information input image on the display unit  44 . In step S 31 , the operator sees the description on the patient&#39;s medical record and inputs various items of examinational information, including the patient&#39;s acceptance number, the patient&#39;s name, the patient&#39;s ID, the gender, the date of birth, the patient&#39;s height and weight, the blood type, the examined department, the examined region, the imaging technician, the examined data, etc., using the input unit  42  such as a keyboard, etc.  
     [0078] If the answers to steps S 27 , S 30  are affirmative, or after the items of examinational information have been entered in step S 30 , the data processing apparatus  18  merges the image data in a non-DICOM format received from the medical imaging apparatus  16  in step S 24  and the corresponding examinational information data into data in a predetermined format, i.e., data in a DICOM format.  
     [0079] Specifically, the data in the DICOM format is in the form of a tag+data+a tag+data+ . . . +a tag+data. Each of the tags comprises a 4-byte (2 bytes+2 bytes) identifier for identifying either one of the patient&#39;s acceptance number, the patient&#39;s name, the patient&#39;s ID, the gender, the date of birth, the patient&#39;s height and weight, the blood type, the examined department, the examined region, the imaging technician, and the examined data. The data following each tag represent examinational information data and image data that are identified by the tag.  
     [0080] More specifically, the former 2 bytes of a tag represent a group number indicative of a patient&#39;s attribute, an examined attribute, etc., and the latter 2 bytes of a tag represent an element number in an attribute. For example, a group number indicative of a patient&#39;s attribute includes an element number indicative of a patient&#39;s name and a patient&#39;s ID, and a group number indicative of an examined attribute includes an element number indicative of an acceptance number and an examined date.  
     [0081] The DICOM-format data generated by the data processing apparatus  18  are transmitted from the data processing apparatus  18  through the communication link  12  to the data storage unit  24  and the printer  26  in step S 33 .  
     [0082] In step S 34 , the data storage unit  24  stores the transmitted DICOM-format data, and the printer  26  outputs a hardcopy of the diagnosed image.  
     [0083] According to the above embodiment, as described above, the image data captured by the medical imaging apparatus  16  which comprises a non-DICOM modality and read by the data processing apparatus  18 , and the examinational information data acquired by the data processing apparatus  18  from the server  14  or the local database  46  are merged into DICOM-format data by the data processing apparatus  18 . The comparing means  51  of the data processing apparatus  18  compares the examinational information data newly read from the server  14  and the examinational information data that have already been stored in the local database  46  with each other, and stores the newly read examinational information data into the local database  46  only when the newly read examinational information data have not been stored in the local database  46 . Therefore, desired examinational information data can be acquired from the local database  46  of the data processing apparatus  18  when the data need to be converted into DICOM-format data.  
     [0084] Since the data processing apparatus  18  has the periodically data reading means  52  for periodically reading examinational information data from the server  14  for being stored into the local database  46 , examinational information data can reliably be acquired from the local database  46  even if the examinational information data have been deleted from the server  14  at the end of the examination.  
     [0085] The data processing apparatus  18  also has the list displaying means  33  for displaying on the display unit  44  a list of examinational information that is produced by merging the examinational information data that are newly read from the server  14  and the examinational information data that have already been stored in the local database  46 . Therefore, the user of the data processing apparatus  18  may refer to only one list displayed on the display unit  44 , without the need for switching between and selecting one of the list on the server  14  and the list on the local database  46 .  
     [0086]FIG. 6 shows in block form a medical image network system  10 A incorporating a system for processing examinational information of medical images according to another embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0087] As shown in FIG. 6, the medical image network system  10 A is different from the medical image network system  10  shown in FIG. 2 in that a communication monitoring device  60  serving as a computer terminal is connected to the communication link  12 . The communication monitoring device  60  has a function to log communication data between the terminal  22  associated with the medical imaging apparatus  16  and the server  14 .  
     [0088]FIGS. 7 and 8 show an operation sequence of the medical image network system  10 A shown in FIG. 6.  
     [0089] Those steps shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 which are identical to those shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are denoted by identical step numbers, and will not be described in detail below.  
     [0090] The communication monitoring device  60  monitors communications between the terminal  22  and the server  14  in step S 41  shown in FIG. 7. If there are data transmitted according to data communications between the terminal  22  and the server  14 , then the communication monitoring device  60  logs (saves) the data in a memory thereof in step S 42 . The data communications are performed between the terminal  22  and the server  14  when the medical imaging apparatus  16  is used in step S 11 . For example, when the imaging technician enters the acceptance number, the patient&#39;s name, or the patient&#39;s ID into the terminal  22 , the terminal  22  acquires the corresponding examinational information data from the server  14  through the communication link  12 , and displays the acquired examinational information data on the display unit  22   d  of the terminal  22 . At this time, the examinational information data are logged in the memory of the communication monitoring device  60 .  
     [0091] The data processing apparatus  18  periodically retrieves the log of the communication monitoring device  60  to acquire examinational information data therefrom in step S 21 A.  
     [0092] In step S 22 A, the CPU  32  as it functions as the comparing means  51  compares the examinational information data newly read from the communication monitoring device  60  in step S 21 A and the examinational information data that have already been registered in the local database  46  with each other, and stores the examinational information data newly read from the communication monitoring device  60  in step S 21 A into the local database  46  only when the newly read examinational information data have not been stored in the local database  46 . By thus updating the data stored in the local database  46 , it is possible to acquire, whenever necessary, examinational information data for identifying images obtained by the medical imaging apparatus  16 .  
     [0093] When the end of the examination is detected in step S 43 , the communication monitoring device  60  deletes the examinational information data of the ended examination from the log data stored in the memory thereof.  
     [0094] After having received the request for printing and storing the image and also received the image data in step S 24 , the data processing apparatus  18  retrieves examinational information from the local database  46  in step S 28 , following the connector  2 , shown in FIG. 8. The steps S 25  through S 27  shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are dispensed with in FIGS. 7 and 8. Other processing details of the operation sequence shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are identical to those of the operation sequence shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and will not be described below.  
     [0095]FIG. 9 shows another operation sequence of the medical image network system  10 A shown in FIG. 6. According to the operation sequence shown in FIG. 9, the communication monitoring device  60  monitors communications between the terminal  22  and the server  14  in step S 51 . The communication monitoring device  60  determines whether there are examinational information data contained in data transmitted according to data communications between the terminal  22  and the server  14  or not in step S 52 . If examinational information data are contained in the data transmitted according to data communications between the terminal  22  and the server  14 , then the communication monitoring device  60  transmits the examinational information data to the data processing apparatus  18  in step S 53 .  
     [0096] At this time, the data processing apparatus  18  acquires the examinational information data transmitted from the communication monitoring device  60  in step S 21 B.  
     [0097] In step S 22 B, the CPU  32  as it functions as the comparing means  51  compares the examinational information data newly read from the communication monitoring device  60  in step S 21 B and the examinational information data that have already been registered in the local database  46  with each other, and stores the examinational information data newly read from the communication monitoring device  60  in step S 21 B into the local database  46  in step S 23 B only when the newly read examinational information data have not been stored in the local database  46 . By thus updating the data stored in the local database  46 , it is possible to acquire, whenever necessary, examinational information data for identifying images obtained by the medical imaging apparatus  16 . Processing details of the operation sequence following the connector  2  shown in FIG. 9 are identical to those of the operation sequence shown in FIG. 8, and will not be described below.  
     [0098]FIG. 10 shows still another operation sequence of the medical image network system  10 A shown in FIG. 6. According to the operation sequence shown in FIG. 10, the communication monitoring device  60  monitors communications between the terminal  22  and the server  14  in step S 61 . If there are data transmitted according to data communications between the terminal  22  and the server  14 , then the communication monitoring device  60  sends a command to the server  14  for transmitting examinational information data to the data processing apparatus  18 .  
     [0099] In step S 4 , the server  14  copies predetermined data included in the examinational information data registered at the present time or all the examinational information data registered at the present time, and transmits the copied examinational information data to the data processing apparatus  18 .  
     [0100] In step S 21 C, the data processing apparatus  18  acquires the examinational information data transmitted from the server  14 .  
     [0101] In step S 22 C, the CPU  32  as it functions as the comparing means  51  compares the examinational information data newly read from the communication monitoring device  60  in step S 21 C and the examinational information data that have already been registered in the local database  46  with each other, and stores the examinational information data newly read from the communication monitoring device  60  in step S 21 C into the local database  46  in step S 23 C only when the newly read examinational information data have not been stored in the local database  46 . By thus updating the data stored in the local database  46 , it is possible to acquire, whenever necessary, examinational information data for identifying images obtained by the medical imaging apparatus  16 . Processing details of the operation sequence following the connector  2  shown in FIG. 10 are identical to those of the operation sequence shown in FIG. 8, and will not be described below.  
     [0102] According to the present invention, as described above, since examinational information for identifying images that are obtained by the medical imaging apparatus is stored in the local database, the examinational information data can be acquired from the local database whenever necessary.  
     [0103] Although certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.