JP2001005950A - Image server device and image transfer method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten the time needed until detailed image data are transferred in an image server device which is connected to a plurality of terminals, stores the reference image data relatively low in resolution and detailed image data relatively high in resolution of the same image to be made correspond to each other and transfers the two kinds of image data to the terminals. SOLUTION: This image service device 14 is connected to terminals 15 and 16, and has an image filing means 14a which stores the reference image data and detailed image data of the same image to be made corresponded to each other and transfers the two kinds of image data to the terminals 15 and 16 according to image acquisition requests from the terminals 15 and 16. In such a case, when receiving an acquisition request for the image shown by the reference image data from the terminals 15 and 16, the image data is transferred to the terminals 15 and 16, then the detailed image data stored to be made correspond to the image data in the means 14a is read and stored in a semiconductor memory 14b whose storage capacity is smaller than that of the means 14a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image server apparatus connected to a plurality of terminals and transferring image data to the terminals. More specifically, the present invention relates to image data having relatively low resolution for the same image. The present invention relates to an image server device configured to store relatively high-resolution image data in image filing means and to transfer the former image data for image reference.

[0002] The present invention also relates to an image transfer method in an image server device as described above.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an image server device connected to a plurality of terminals and transferring image data to the terminals in accordance with an image acquisition request from each terminal. There are various types of image data handled by this type of image server device. For example, a medical image recorded by, for example, CT, MRI, or CR has a particularly large image size and high resolution.

[0004]

When transferring image data having a large image size and high resolution from the image server device to the terminal, it takes a relatively long time to transfer and display the image on the terminal. In some cases, practical image utilization is difficult. In particular, a system in which image data is held in the image server device itself using a magnetic disk device or the like, and an image of the image server device is referred to by an operation from a terminal, reads out image data, and reads image data on a network. It takes time to transfer and display images on the terminal.

[0005] As a countermeasure, relatively low-resolution image data (reference image data) and relatively high-resolution image data (detailed image data) relating to the same image are stored in a magnetic disk device or the like in association with each other. When the terminal issues an image acquisition request, first, the former image data is transferred to the terminal, and the image is referred to. As a result, if a detailed image is needed for an actual interpretation diagnosis or the like, the latter is performed. A method of transferring image data has been considered.

However, even in this method, it takes a considerable time to display a detailed image, that is, a relatively high-resolution image on a terminal.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an image server apparatus in which relatively low-resolution image data and relatively high-resolution image data are stored in an image filing means in association with each other for the same image. It is an object of the present invention to reduce the time required for transferring image data.

[0008]

The image server apparatus according to the present invention is connected to a plurality of terminals as described above.
Image filing means for storing relatively low-resolution image data (reference image data) and relatively high-resolution image data (detailed image data) of the same image in association with each other; The image server device for transferring the relatively low-resolution image data and / or the relatively high-resolution image data to the terminal according to the following. When transferring the image data to the terminal, reading out the relatively high-resolution image data stored in the image filing means in association with the image data, and storing the image data in a storage capacity smaller than the image filing means. Characterized by being stored in a semiconductor memory having a small size.

As the image filing means, for example, a magnetic disk device, a magneto-optical disk device or an optical disk device can be suitably used.

In the present invention, the image filing means may be provided in the main body of the image server device, or may be provided separately from the main body of the image server device, and be provided separately from the main body of the image server device. They may be connected via a network.

[0011] On the other hand, an image transfer method according to the present invention is an image filing method for storing relatively low-resolution image data and relatively high-resolution image data relating to the same image while being connected to a plurality of terminals. Means for transferring the relatively low-resolution image data and / or the relatively high-resolution image data to the terminal according to an image acquisition request from the terminal. When receiving a request to acquire an image indicated by the relatively low-resolution image data from the terminal, the image data is transferred to the terminal, and the relatively high-resolution image stored in the image filing means in association with the image data. Of the image data, and stores the image data in a semiconductor memory having a smaller storage capacity than the image filing means. It is characterized in that to pay.

[0012]

According to the present invention, when comparing the image filing means composed of a magnetic disk device, a magneto-optical disk device or an optical disk device with a semiconductor memory having a smaller storage capacity, the latter can access at higher speed. .

In the present invention, when a request to acquire an image indicated by relatively low-resolution image data is received from the terminal, the image data is transferred to the terminal, and stored in the image filing means in association with the image data. Since the relatively high-resolution image data is read out and stored in the semiconductor memory that can be accessed at a high speed as described above, a reference image (an image carried by the relatively low-resolution image data) is transmitted from the terminal. If a request for acquiring a detailed image (an image carried by relatively high-resolution image data) is issued after the display, the relatively high-resolution image data can be read from the semiconductor memory at high speed.

It takes a certain amount of time to read out the relatively high-resolution image data stored in the image filing means and store it in the semiconductor memory. Is transferred to the terminal and subsequently, the process is usually completed while the operator is displaying the reference image on the terminal and examining whether to acquire a detailed image. Therefore, at the time when a request for acquiring a detailed image is issued from the terminal, the image data of relatively high resolution has already been stored in the semiconductor memory. Therefore, when a request for acquiring a detailed image is issued from the terminal, the detailed image data can be immediately read from the semiconductor memory.

As described above, according to the present invention, the time required for transferring image data of relatively high resolution in the image server device can be reliably reduced.

[0016]

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 a local area network (LAN) wired within the hospital premises, such as Ethernet, FDDI, or the like. This LAN may be connected to the Internet via a dedicated line or a public line such as ISDN.

The 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 information system 11 is connected to a terminal (not shown) installed in a radiology department, a medical department that requests the radiology department to record an image, or a department for requesting 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 together with image accompanying information (information such as patient name, diagnosis department, date of imaging, etc.) for retrieval. Archive device 17
Alternatively, the data is accumulated and stored in 18 and a database is constructed for each archive device. Archive device in this way
The image data of a plurality of medical images acquired over a relatively long period of several years or more is stored in the memory 17 or 18.

The image retrieval server 14 is an archive device.
A hard disk as an image filing means for storing image data of a plurality of medical images acquired over a relatively short period of time among image data stored and stored in 17 or 18 together with image accompanying information for search
14a, and a semiconductor memory 14b for temporarily storing such image data. Semiconductor memory 14b
Has a smaller storage capacity and a higher access speed than the hard disk 14a.

Then, based on a search request from the diagnostic workstation 15 or the reference terminal 16, the image search server 14 sends the database or the hard disk 14a in its own device.
A desired image is searched for, and the search result and the image data obtained by the search are transferred to the diagnostic workstation 15 and the reference terminal 16.

The diagnostic workstation 15 performs image processing such that a radiologist or the like refers to the 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. The DICOM standard defines in detail the data format of essential information in a medical system such as patient information and examination information, and further defines an interface for a processing request when inquiring for various information.

Next, the image search processing by the image search server 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 showing an outline of the processing. The image search server 14 has an archive device 17 or
The image data (image data) that carries the high-density and high-resolution detailed images to be stored and stored in the hard disk 14
The reference image data is stored in the hard disk 14a, and the reference image data is generated for the image having a lower resolution and a smaller size than the detailed image.

Thus, the hard disk 14a has:
For the same image, detailed image data carrying a relatively high resolution image and reference image data carrying a relatively low resolution image are stored. The two types of image data are stored after being associated with each other.

When receiving a search request from the diagnostic workstation 15 or the reference terminal 16, the image search server 14 first searches the hard disk 14a for a desired image, and obtains the search result and the search result. Diagnostic workstation 15 or reference terminal 16 for image data
Transfer to The image data to be output at the time of this search is the reference image data having a relatively low resolution. After transferring the reference image data, the image search server 14 immediately associates the reference image data with the
The detailed image data stored in the memory 14a is read out and stored in the semiconductor memory 14b.

In the diagnostic workstation 15 or the reference terminal 16, a reference image having a relatively small size and a low resolution is generated based on the transferred reference image data.
It is displayed on T or the like. By observing the reference image, a doctor or the like can determine whether or not the desired image is the image. If it is determined that the displayed image is the one desired, the doctor or the like sends the image search server 14 from the diagnostic workstation 15 or the reference terminal 16.
A request to acquire a detailed image.

Upon receiving this image acquisition request, the image retrieval server 14 reads out the detailed image data stored in the semiconductor memory 14b as described above, and transfers it to the diagnostic workstation 15 or the reference terminal 16. . In the diagnostic workstation 15 or the reference terminal 16, based on the transferred detailed image data, a relatively large-sized and high-resolution detailed image is displayed on a CRT or the like. A doctor or the like can use this detailed image for patient diagnosis.

Note that it takes some time to read the detailed image data from the hard disk 14a and store it in the semiconductor memory 14b. However, since this processing is continuously performed after the transfer of the reference image data, the doctor or the like usually operates the diagnostic workstation 15.
Alternatively, the process is completed while the reference terminal 16 displays the reference image to determine whether to acquire a detailed image.

Therefore, the diagnostic workstation 15
Alternatively, the detailed image data has already been stored in the semiconductor memory 14b when the request for obtaining the detailed image is issued from the reference terminal 16. Therefore, when a request for acquiring a detailed image is issued, the detailed image data can be immediately read from the semiconductor memory 14b. As described above, according to the image search server 14, the time required for transferring the detailed image data can be reliably reduced.

The embodiment described above is applicable to a case where relatively low-resolution image data and relatively high-resolution image data are read from a hard disk 14a serving as image filing means provided in the main body of the image search server 14. The present invention is applied to an image search server.
Image filing means formed separately from 14, i.e., in the above example, can be applied to read out relatively low-resolution image data and relatively high-resolution image data from the image archive device 17 or 18. In this case, the same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image transfer process performed by the image server device.

[Explanation of symbols]

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

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An image filing means connected to a plurality of terminals, the image filing means for storing relatively low-resolution image data and relatively high-resolution image data relating to the same image in association with each other, An image server device for transferring the relatively low-resolution image data and / or the relatively high-resolution image data to the terminal in accordance with the image acquisition request of (a), obtaining an image indicated by the relatively low-resolution image data from the terminal When the request is received, the image data is transferred to the terminal, and the relatively high-resolution image data stored in the image filing unit in association with the image data is read out and stored in the image filing unit. An image server device configured to be stored in a small-capacity semiconductor memory. 2. The image server device according to claim 1, wherein said image filing means is a magnetic disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, or an optical disk device. 3. The image server device according to claim 1, wherein said image filing means is provided in an image server device main body. 4. The image filing device according to claim 1, wherein the image filing means is provided separately from the image server device main body, and is connected to the image server device main body via a network. Image server device. 5. An image filing means connected to a plurality of terminals, the image filing means for storing relatively low-resolution image data and relatively high-resolution image data relating to the same image in association with each other, An image transfer method in an image server device for transferring the relatively low-resolution image data and / or the relatively high-resolution image data to the terminal in accordance with the image acquisition request of When receiving an image acquisition request indicated by the data, transfer the image data to the terminal, read out the relatively high-resolution image data stored in the image filing means in association with this image data, An image transfer method, wherein the image is stored in a semiconductor memory having a smaller storage capacity than the image filing means.