JP2000285131A - Image retrieval server device and image retrieval method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the responsiveness of image retrieval while all databases can be retrieved in an image retrieval server device connected to the database, in which images are stored, and an image display terminal for retrieving the database corresponding to a request from the image display terminal and outputting the retrieved result to the image display terminal. SOLUTION: In this image retrieval server 14, images acquired from the database constructed in image archive devices 17 and 18, for example, are stored in a storage means such as hard disk 14a. Then, it is preset whether the database and the storage means are to be retrieved for every terminal of plural image display terminals 15 and 16 or only the storage means is to be retrieved, and, a retrieval object is selected for every image display terminal based on the setting.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is connected to a database storing and storing images and an image display terminal, searches the database in response to a request from the image display terminal, and outputs a search result to the image display terminal. The present invention relates to an image search server device, and more particularly, to an image search server device having a function of holding an image of a database in a storage unit in the device and performing an image search only in the device. .

[0002] The present invention also relates to an image search method in such an image search server device.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a medical institution such as a hospital, a database is constructed by storing medical images recorded by various image recording modalities such as CT, MRI, and CR in a medium such as a large-capacity optical disk. Is being done. In addition to this type of medical image, storing images in the form of a database is widely and generally performed.

[0004] A device that stores and stores this type of image is referred to as an "image archive device" in this specification. This image is input and stored from each image recording modality, for example, via an image server device connected via a network or directly to an image archive device. When the image server device receives a search request from another image display terminal, the image server device searches the database and outputs the search result to the image display terminal.

[0005] Incidentally, the image search server device having the above search function is often configured to hold frequently used images among the images in the database in storage means in the device itself. If a search request is issued from the image display terminal to the image search server device configured as described above,
Frequently used images can be searched at high speed, and information of all images stored in the database can be searched and obtained.

[0006]

However, in such a conventional image search server apparatus having a search function in the apparatus itself, in any case, the database is searched after searching the storage means in the apparatus. Because of the configuration, the database may be searched without necessity, and the response of the search is low.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has made it possible to search all databases when necessary.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image search server device and an image search method capable of searching images with good responsiveness.

[0008]

One image search server device according to the present invention is connected to a database storing and storing images as described above and a plurality of image display terminals.
In an image search server device that searches the database in response to a search request from these image display terminals and outputs search results to the image display terminal, storage means for storing images acquired from the database, For each of the plurality of image display terminals, the database and the storage means are searched as targets, or only the storage means are searched as targets. And control means for determining a search target.

[0009] Another image search server device according to the present invention comprises:
A database that stores and stores images in the same manner as described above, and is connected to a plurality of image display terminals, searches the database in response to a search request from these image display terminals, and outputs a search result to the image display terminal A storage means for storing images obtained from the database, and for each of a plurality of image recording modalities, a search for the database and the storage means, or only the storage means. Or has a preset setting, and a search target is determined for each image recording modality according to the setting.

[0010] One image search method according to the present invention includes:
An image search server connected to a database storing and storing images and a plurality of image display terminals, searching the database in response to a search request from these image display terminals, and outputting a search result to the image display terminal In the device,
The image obtained from the database is stored in a storage unit, and for each of the plurality of image display terminals, a search is performed with respect to the database and the storage unit,
Alternatively, it is characterized in that whether to search only for the storage means as a target is specified in advance, and a search target is determined for each image display terminal according to this rule.

Another image search method according to the present invention is connected to a database storing and storing images in the same manner as described above, and to a plurality of image display terminals, and responding to a search request from these image display terminals. In an image search server device that searches a database and outputs a search result to the image display terminal, images acquired from the database are stored in a storage unit, and the database and the image are stored for each of a plurality of image recording modalities. It is characterized in that whether to search for the storage means or to search for only the storage means is specified in advance, and the search target is determined for each image recording modality in accordance with the specification.

[0012]

According to the present invention, for each of a plurality of image display terminals or for each of a plurality of image recording modalities, a search is performed by using a database and an internal storage means, Since the configuration is such that it is determined whether or not only the means is to be performed, the search of the database is omitted when it is not necessary, so that the responsiveness of the search is remarkably improved.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a medical network system including an image search server device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the system shown in FIG.
Is, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, etc.
Local area network (L
AN). This LAN is a dedicated line or ISD
N or the like, and may be connected to the Internet via a public line.

A network 10 includes a radiology information system (RIS) 11, image recording modalities 12 and 13, an image search server 14, a diagnostic workstation 15 which is one of terminals, a reference terminal 16, and an image archive device 17. And 1
8, and a laser printer 19 and the like are connected.

The image recording modalities 12 and 13 are devices or systems for recording patient images as digital data, such as CT, MRI, CR, RI, and US. This may be, for example, a method in which an analog image signal obtained by shooting is digitally converted and recorded as it is, or an image once recorded on a film or the like is read at the time of shooting to obtain digital data. Is also good.

The radiology department information system 11 is connected to terminals (not shown) installed in the radiology department, a department that requests the radiology department to record an image, or a department that requests a surgery. Inspection order information (ordering for radiology, etc.) for the patient and image recording modalities 12 and 13
Is a system for transmitting information and processing information in the radiology department based on the imaging information and the like in the above.

The image retrieval server 14 is composed of a computer system, and stores image data recorded by the image recording modalities 12 and 13 in the archive device 17 or 18 together with character information indicating a patient name and the like. Build a database in Note that the image data recorded by the image recording modalities 12 and 13 may be directly stored and stored in the archive device 17 or 18 without passing through the image search server 14 as described above.

The image search server 14 has a hard disk 14a for temporarily storing images. Then, based on a search request from the diagnostic workstation 15 or the reference terminal 16, the image search server 14 targets the database or the hard disk 14 a in its own device (selection of this search target will be described later in detail). The image is searched, and the search result is transferred to the diagnostic workstation 15 or the reference terminal 16.

The diagnostic workstation 15 performs image processing such that a radiologist or the like refers to image data and changes image processing parameters as necessary to obtain an image suitable for diagnosis. This is a terminal used for making a diagnosis while referring to the processed image.

The reference terminal 16 is a terminal provided only for referring to image data and having no image processing function. The laser printer 19 outputs the processed image data as a visible image. Laser printer 19
The image is output to the image search server 14 by issuing an instruction from the diagnostic workstation 15 to the image search server 14.

The medical network system is, for example, an ACR-NEMA committee (ACR: American).
College of Radiology, NEMA: National Electric
al Manufacturers Association)
(Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine)
It is built on standards.

The DICOM standard is a standard for realizing an object-oriented medical network system, and includes the contents and data structures of various diagnostic information such as CT image information, examination information, and patient information, and the diagnostic information. For exchanging as a message (image storage,
Procedures for requesting services such as retrieval, printing, and inquiry) are defined. In the DICOM standard, the data format of essential information in a medical system such as patient information and examination information is defined in detail, and an interface for a processing request when inquiring various information is also defined.

Next, the image search processing by the image search server 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 showing the outline of the processing. Although the image search server 14 has the control means described above, this control means is included in the image search server 14, and the control processing by the control means is performed based on a predetermined computer program.

The image search server 14 has an archive device 17,
Of the images stored in the database of 18, the images that are used relatively frequently are temporarily stored on the hard disk 14a. Images temporarily stored in this way are:
For example, image recording modalities 12, 13
Can be selected on the basis of the type of the image or the shooting menu.

The image search server 14 responds to a search request from the diagnostic workstation 15 which is one of the image display terminals by using all databases (that is, archive devices 17 and 18).
) And the hard disk 14a as search targets, and in response to a search request from the reference terminal 16, only the hard disk 14a is set as the search target, and the search is performed according to this setting.

Therefore, when a search request is issued from the diagnostic workstation 15 to the image search server 14, the image search server 14 first searches the hard disk 14a and sends the search result to the diagnostic workstation 15 quickly. The database of the archive devices 17 and 18 is also searched, and the search result is sent to the diagnostic workstation 15. On the other hand, when a search request is issued from the reference terminal 16 to the image search server 14, the image search server 14
Only 14a is searched, and the search result is sent to the reference terminal 16.

Since the reference terminal 16 is used to search and display only images that are relatively frequently used, it is possible to search the databases of the archive devices 17 and 18 in response to the search request. There is no particular problem. And
As described above, if the databases of the archive devices 17 and 18 are not to be searched, and only the hard disk 14a is to be searched, an image can be searched with high responsiveness.

On the other hand, the diagnostic workstation 15
, A search request may be issued for any of the images stored in the database, but in response to the search request, the archive device 17 and the
Since all 18 databases are to be searched, image search without omission is realized.

FIG. 3 illustrates selection of an image search target performed by another image search server device according to the present invention. In this case, the image search server 14 determines that the CT, MRI, C
For each image recording modality such as R, the entire database (that is, the archive devices 17 and 18) and the hard disk 14a may be searched or the hard disk 14a may be searched.
It has a setting that specifies whether only a is to be searched, and the search is performed according to this setting.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, for example, when a request for retrieving an image recorded by CT is issued from the diagnostic workstation 15, the image retrieval server 14 transmits all databases (that is, archive devices) in accordance with the above setting. 17,
18) and the hard disk 14a are searched. Further, for example, when a request to search for an image recorded by CR is issued from the reference terminal 16, the image search server 14 searches only the hard disk 14a as a search target according to the above setting.

Also in this case, an image can be searched with good responsiveness, and an image search without omission can be realized.

The present invention is not limited to the image search server device for medical images, but is applicable to any image search server device for images, and has the same effect. It is.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a medical network system including an image search server device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating selection of an image search target performed by the image search server device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating selection of an image search target performed by another image search server device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Network 11 Radiology Information System 12, 13 Image Recording Modality 14 Image Search Server 14a Image Search Server Hard Disk 15 Diagnostic Workstation 16 Reference Terminal 17, 18 Image Archive 19 Laser Printer

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A database that stores and stores images and is connected to a plurality of image display terminals, and searches the database in response to a search request from these image display terminals.
In an image search server device for outputting a search result to the image display terminal, a storage unit for storing an image obtained from the database, and the database and the storage unit for each of the plurality of image display terminals. Or a control means for deciding a search target for each image display terminal according to the setting, the setting having a predetermined setting of whether to search as a target or only the storage means as a target. Search server device. 2. A database that stores and stores images and is connected to a plurality of image display terminals, and searches the database in response to a search request from these image display terminals.
In an image search server device that outputs a search result to the image display terminal, a storage unit that stores images acquired from the database, and for each of a plurality of image recording modalities, the database and the storage unit. Control means for setting whether to search or to search only the storage means as an object, and control means for determining a search object for each image recording modality according to the setting. Server device. 3. A database that stores and stores images and is connected to a plurality of image display terminals, and searches the database in response to a search request from these image display terminals.
In an image search server device that outputs a search result to the image display terminal, an image acquired from the database is stored in a storage unit, and the database and the storage unit are targeted for each of the plurality of image display terminals. An image search method characterized in that a search target is determined in advance, or a search is performed only for the storage means, and a search target is determined for each image display terminal according to the definition. 4. A database that stores and stores images and is connected to a plurality of image display terminals, and searches the database in response to a search request from these image display terminals.
In an image search server device that outputs a search result to the image display terminal, images acquired from the database are stored in a storage unit, and for each of a plurality of image recording modalities, the database and the storage unit are targeted. An image search method, wherein whether to search or to search only the storage means is specified in advance, and a search target is determined for each image recording modality according to the specification.