JP2005293104A - Medical image retrieval method and medical image retrieval system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a medical image retrieval method and a system capable of attaining effective retrieval processing from the start of retrieval work, speeding up the retrieval processing and shortening the retrieval time for medical images. <P>SOLUTION: The medical image retrieval system is provided with a step ST1 for transmitting, to an image storing devices 12 and 13, image data of parts to be examined of patients which are photographed by an image pick-up device 11, a step ST2 for transmitting an examination completion notice from the image pick-up device 11 to a retrieval information management device 14 after completion of image pick-up by the image pick-up device 11, and a step ST3 in which the retrieval information management device 14 receiving the examination completion notice specifies relevant image data of the patient stored in advance in the image storing device 12 from the retrieval information corresponding to the image data photographed in the step ST1, requests the image storing device 12 to transmit the specified data from the image storing device 12 to the image storing device 13 and updates the information in a storing destination or the like with the retrieval information 141 in the retrieval information management device 14. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a medical image search method and a medical image search system for specifying desired image data in advance.

In general, in a medical system of a hospital, a network is constructed from imaging of a radiation image, CT image, MR image, and the like to output to a medical image display device, a medical printer, or the like. The medical system includes an image storage device for the purpose of storage, an information management device that manages various information such as patient information and examination information, and a variety of networks are constructed in the medical field. .
Recently, a large amount of each medical image is used, and the law requires that the medical image be stored for a predetermined period. Therefore, the number of images stored in a medical institution increases day by day. For this reason, when outputting a medical image to a medical image device or the like, a corresponding medical image is searched from a vast number of medical images, and the search operation and the like is a heavy burden on each medical institution.
As conventional medical image search systems, for example, those shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 have been proposed.
FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a medical image database system showing the first prior art. A medical image database system 201 according to the first prior art is a system including a database server 210 configured to be able to transmit and receive data to and from a client terminal 203 via a network 202, and includes a database server 210 includes a first storage unit 211 that stores and saves medical image data in a short period of time, and a second storage unit 212 that stores and saves medical image data in a long period of time. The first storage unit 211 and the second storage unit 212 include: Both are configured from RAID (Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks), and when the database server 210 receives the search condition through the client terminal 203, only the number of medical image data matching the search condition is sent to the client terminal 203. Like to send (See Patent Document 1).
FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image filing system showing the second prior art. An image filing system according to the second prior art includes an optical disk device (first image storage device) 301 that stores a plurality of images, and a magnetic disk device (second image storage device, search) that stores search data and image data. Data storage device) 302, the desired image data is specified by the search data prior to playback, read directly from the first image storage device 301 for playback, or transferred to the second image storage device 302, and The search data corresponding to each image data is read from the second image storage device 302 and reproduced, and the storage position information of the image data in the first image storage device 301 and the image data are stored. Including link information representing key information for searching and other image data related to the image data, the link information It is set for the image data that matches the any specified conditions to be chained as a related image data. Thereby, when outputting the desired image data specified by the search data, the related image data related to the specified desired image data can be sequentially read based on the link information. The output can be performed efficiently and at high speed (see Patent Document 2).
As described above, the first conventional technique narrows down the image data to be searched when the search condition is specified, whereas the second conventional technique narrows down the image data. It can be said that it is stored in a medium intended for high-speed output.
JP 2003-99465 A (page 4 in the specification, FIG. 1) Japanese Patent No. 2609782 (page 3 of specification, FIG. 1)

The conventional medical image search system is based on the search conditions, narrows down the search target, transfers it to a storage medium capable of high-speed processing, etc. However, since search is performed from tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of image data from a plurality of image storage devices at the start of a search operation, there has been a problem that search results cannot be output efficiently.
In addition, depending on the storage medium of the image storage device, there is a problem in that the time until the search result is output cannot be increased regardless of the number of search targets because the time spent for seeking and reproduction is long.
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and a medical image search method capable of improving the search process efficiency from the start of the search operation and speeding up the search process without depending on the storage medium. It is another object of the present invention to provide a medical image retrieval system.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention is configured as follows.
According to the medical image retrieval method of the first aspect of the present invention, an examination target portion of a patient is photographed by an image photographing device, and the medical image photographed by the image photographing device is recorded by a first image storage device for the purpose of long-term storage. Then, the medical image recorded by the first image storage device is reproduced and recorded by the second image storage device for high-speed processing and stored in the first image storage device or the second image storage device. Is a medical image search method for specifying desired image data by using a search information management device storing search information, and storing image data obtained by the image photographing device through the communication means in the first image storage When the image capturing by the image capturing apparatus and the second image storage device and the image capturing by the image capturing apparatus are completed, the inspection information which is the inspection completion notification is retrieved from the image capturing apparatus. From the search information such as patient ID, examination date or examination number corresponding to the image data taken by the retrieval information management apparatus that has received the examination completion notification and the step of transmitting to the management apparatus via communication means Identifying relevant image data of a patient stored in one image storage device, and transmitting the specified image data from the first image storage device to the second image storage device via a communication means, A transfer request is made to the first image storage device via the communication means, and the storage destination information is updated in the search information of the search information management device.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the medical image retrieval method according to the first aspect, after the information on the storage destination is updated for the retrieval information from the retrieval information management device, an image transfer instruction is issued from an external image receiving device. When the search information management device receives the search condition from the image receiving device via the communication means, the communication means from the second image storage device storing the requested image data to the image receiving device. The second image storage device is provided with a step of requesting a transfer via a communication means so that the second image storage device can be transmitted via the communication means.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image photographing apparatus for photographing a portion to be examined of a patient and a medical image photographed by the image photographing apparatus for the purpose of long-term storage. A first image storage device, a second image storage device for reproducing and recording a medical image recorded by the first image storage device for the purpose of high-speed processing, and the first image storage device or the second image storage device A medical information retrieval system for identifying desired image data, comprising a retrieval information management device storing retrieval information for identifying an image stored in the imaging device, wherein the imaging device is obtained by the imaging device A means for transmitting the image data to the first image storage device and the second image storage device via the communication means, and an image completion notification when the image photographing by the photographing device is completed. Means for transmitting inspection information from the imaging device to the search information management device via a communication means, and the search information management device receives the inspection completion notification, and the search information management device Identify related image data of a patient already stored in the first image storage device from search information such as patient ID, examination date or examination number corresponding to the imaged image data, and identify the identified image data. A request for transfer is made to the first image storage device via the communication means so that the first image storage device can transmit to the second image storage device via the communication means. It is characterized by having means for updating the information on the storage destination.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the medical image search system according to the third aspect, the search information management device updates the storage destination information for the search information of the search information management device, and then from an external image reception device. When a search condition is received from the image receiving device via the communication means when an image transfer instruction is given, the communication means from the second image storage device storing the requested image data to the image receiving device. The second image storage device has a means for requesting a transfer via a communication means so that the second image storage device can be transmitted via the communication means.

According to the first and third aspects of the present invention, the image data to be searched can be narrowed down in advance, and the search result can be output efficiently at the start of the search operation.
In addition, by transferring image data stored in a storage medium with a slow seek and reproduction time to a storage medium capable of high-speed processing, search results can be output efficiently regardless of the speed performance of the storage medium.
According to the second and fourth aspects of the invention, the search result can be output more efficiently by the image receiving device.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, a medical image search system common to the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a medical image search system common to the embodiments of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, 11 is an image photographing device, 12 is intended for long-term storage, and is an image storage device composed of a large-capacity storage medium with a slow seek and reproduction time of image data, and 13 is short-term storage and high-speed. A small-capacity image storage device 14 for processing is a search information management device that stores search information for specifying images stored in the image storage devices 12 and 13.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the flow of data from image transfer to image recording by the image capturing device to image capturing completion in the medical image search system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a medical image search method for supplementarily explaining the data flow in FIGS.
In FIG. 2, reference numerals 15, 16, 17 and 18 denote communication means.
First, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, for example, when an examination target portion of a certain patient is imaged by an image imaging device 11 such as a CT, image data (medical image) imaged by the CT is transmitted as communication means 15. To the image storage device 12 and the image storage device 13 (step ST1).
Next, when the image capturing by the image capturing apparatus 11 is completed, inspection information (inspection completion notification) is transmitted from the image capturing apparatus 11 to the search information managing apparatus 14 via the communication unit 16 (step ST2).
Subsequently, the search information management device 14 that has received the examination completion notification has already been stored in the image storage device 12 from the search information such as the patient ID, examination date, or examination number corresponding to the image data photographed in step ST1. Relevant image data of a patient is specified, and the specified image data can be stored by transmission from the image storage device 12 to the image storage device 13 via the communication means 18 via the communication means 17. A transfer request is made, and information such as the storage destination is updated in the search information 141 of the search information management apparatus 14 (step ST3).

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the flow of search data from the image receiving apparatus in the medical image search system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Here, reference numerals 191, 192, and 193 in the figure respectively denote communication means.
3 and 6, the search information management device 14 updates the information such as the storage location for the search information 141, and then receives an image when an image transfer instruction is received from the image reception device 20 (for example, a doctor). When the search condition is received from the apparatus 20 via the communication means 191, the communication means 192 is transmitted so that the requested image data can be transmitted from the stored image storage device 13 to the image reception apparatus 20 via the communication means 193. Then, a transfer request is made to the image storage device 13 (step ST4).

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating the flow of image data transfer from the search information management device to the image storage device in the medical image search system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 4, image data stored in the image storage device 12 is imaged via the communication means 18 so that related image data can be specified based on the search conditions received by the search information management device 14. A transfer request is made to the image storage device 13 via the communication means 17 so that it can be transmitted to the reception device 13.

Since the first embodiment has such a configuration, the image data to be searched can be narrowed down in advance, and the search result at the start of the search operation can be output efficiently.
In addition, by transferring image data stored in a storage medium with a slow seek and reproduction time to a storage medium capable of high-speed processing, search results can be output efficiently regardless of the speed performance of the storage medium.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the flow of image transfer from the patient receiving means in the medical image search system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Here, reference numeral 21 in the figure denotes patient reception means, and reference numerals 60, 61 and 62 denote communication means.
The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a patient receiving means 21 is provided instead of the image capturing device 112 in the method of steps ST1 to ST4 (corresponding to FIG. 2) described in the first embodiment, 21 is that patient information is transmitted to the search information management apparatus 14 from the communication device 60 via the communication means 60. That is, the patient does not take an image at the time of examination, but is simply sent to the patient. Only when registered image data taken in the past is shown by search.
In FIG. 5, the search information management device 14 that has received the patient information is based on the search conditions received by the search information management device 14 in order to identify related image data based on the patient information from the patient reception means 21. In addition, the image data stored in the image storage device 12 can be transmitted to the image receiving device 13 via the communication means 62 so that the related image data can be specified. A transfer request is made to the storage device 13.
Note that the steps following the process of the second embodiment are the same as the processes after step ST4 described in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

Since the second embodiment has such a configuration, the image data to be searched can be narrowed down in advance, and the search result at the start of the search operation can be output efficiently.
In addition, by transferring image data stored in a storage medium with a slow seek and reproduction time to a storage medium capable of high-speed processing, search results can be output efficiently regardless of the speed performance of the storage medium.

  Since the search target can be specified in advance by using the information generated in the prior process, it can also be applied to the use as an Internet search engine.

Overall configuration diagram of a medical image search system common to the embodiments of the present invention FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a data flow from image transfer to image recording apparatus to image recording apparatus by the image capturing apparatus in the medical image search system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a flow of search data from an image receiving device in the medical image search system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The figure which roughly demonstrated the flow of the transfer of the image data from the search information management apparatus to the image storage device in the medical image search system which shows 1st Example of this invention. The figure which roughly demonstrated the flow of the image transfer from the patient reception means in the medical image search system which shows 2nd Example of this invention. FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a medical image search method for supplementarily explaining the data flow in FIGS. Schematic configuration diagram showing a medical image database system showing the first prior art Schematic configuration diagram of an image filing system showing the second prior art

Explanation of symbols

11 Image shooting device 12 Image storage device 13 Image storage device 14 Search information management device 15, 16, 17, 18, 60, 61, 62, 141, 191, 192, 193 Communication means

Claims (4)

The patient's examination target part is photographed with an image photographing device,
A medical image captured by the image capturing device is recorded by a first image storage device for long-term storage;
A medical image recorded by the first image storage device is reproduced and recorded by a second image storage device for high-speed processing;
An image stored in the first image storage device or the second image storage device is specified by a search information management device storing search information;
A medical image search method for specifying desired image data,
Transmitting image data obtained by the image capturing device to the first image storage device and the second image storage device via a communication unit;
When image capturing by the image capturing device is completed, transmitting inspection information that is an inspection completion notification from the image capturing device to the search information managing device via a communication unit;
The related information of a certain patient already stored in the first image storage device from the search information such as patient ID, examination date or examination number corresponding to the image data taken by the retrieval information management apparatus that has received the examination completion notice. Identify image data and transfer the identified image data from the first image storage device to the second image storage device via the communication means to the first image storage device so that it can be transmitted via the communication means Making a request, and updating the storage location information in the search information of the search information management device; and
A medical image retrieval method comprising:   After the search information management device updates the storage location information for the search information, when there is an image transfer instruction from an external image reception device, the search information management device sends the image reception device via communication means. When the search condition is received, the requested image data can be transmitted from the stored second image storage device to the image receiving device via the communication unit. The medical image retrieval method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of requesting transfer. An imaging device for imaging a portion of the patient to be examined;
A first image storage device which is intended for long-term storage and records a medical image taken by the image taking device;
A second image storage device for high-speed processing and for reproducing and recording a medical image recorded by the first image storage device;
A search information management device storing search information for specifying an image stored in the first image storage device or the second image storage device;
A medical image search system for specifying desired image data,
Means for transmitting image data obtained by the imaging device to the first image storage device and the second image storage device via a communication means;
Means for transmitting inspection information, which is a notification of inspection completion, from the imaging device to the search information management device via a communication unit when image capturing by the imaging device is completed,
The search information management device receives the examination completion notice, and has already received the first image storage device from the search information such as patient ID, examination date or examination number corresponding to the image data photographed by the search information management device. Via communication means so that the relevant image data of a patient stored in can be identified and the identified image data can be transmitted from the first image storage device to the second image storage device via the communication means. A medical image retrieval system comprising means for making a transfer request to the first image storage device and updating the storage destination information to the retrieval information of the retrieval information management device.   The search information management device updates the storage location information for the search information of the search information management device, and when there is an image transfer instruction from the external image reception device, the image reception device via the communication means. When the search condition is received, the requested image data can be transmitted from the stored second image storage device to the image receiving device via the communication unit. 4. The medical image retrieval system according to claim 3, further comprising means for requesting transfer.

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