JP2006271451A - Medical image control server and medical image control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a medical image control server and a medical image control method by which medical image data whose transfer is to be requested probably can be stored in an internal storage device while securing a free capacity of the internal storage device. <P>SOLUTION: The server is provided with a judging means (12) which receives transfer schedule information showing whether transferring of medical image data stored in the internal storage device (14) is possible and which judges whether erasure of the medical image data stored in the internal storage device is possible based on the transfer schedule information; and a control means (11) which keeps the medical image data judged to be not erasable by the judgment to be stored in the internal storage device as it is and which carries out processing of transmitting the medical image data judged to be erasable by the judgment to the external storage device and erasing it from the internal storage device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention includes an internal storage device that temporarily stores medical image data therein, a medical image management server to which an external storage device that stores medical image data is connected, and the medical image management server. The present invention relates to a medical image management method.

  In recent years, the amount of medical images used for diagnosis has increased more and more with the spread of image diagnostic apparatuses such as X-ray CT apparatuses, MRI apparatuses, DR apparatuses, and CR apparatuses. In order to manage and file such enormous medical images, PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) has been introduced.

  On the other hand, against the backdrop of improvements in network and computer technology and price reduction, and the standardization of medical images and communication, the connection between diagnostic imaging devices and image management devices (servers) and image display devices (viewers) The opportunities for use are expanding, such as storing a huge amount of medical images and transferring them for diagnosis.

  However, for medical image data that tends to increase, the capacity of the internal storage device in the image management device is limited, so the medical image data sent from the image diagnostic device is temporarily stored in the internal storage device. Thereafter, the medical image data stored in the external storage device is deleted from the internal storage device after being transferred to and stored in an external storage device connected to the outside and capable of storing a large capacity. For example, there is one in which registration of medical image data is performed in accordance with the amount of medical image data generated and the operation mode (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Also, the external storage device accommodates a plurality of recording media such as a DVD (Digital Video Disc) and a CD (Compact Disk) so as to enable large capacity storage, and automatically uses an autochanger mechanism. An apparatus that selects and writes data to and reads data is used.

  When an image is displayed, medical image data is read from the external storage device and transferred to an image display device or the like.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-4636

  However, reading from the external storage device is performed via an interface, and if the recording medium is a DVD or CD, reading from such a recording medium is performed, so that the reading speed is reduced and the image display apparatus is read. It takes a lot of time to complete the transfer.

  Also, if transfer requests overlap, reading and transfer are performed in order, so it takes a lot of time to complete the reading and transfer for subsequent transfer requests, and it is also necessary to read and interpret an image immediately. Will be disturbed.

  In addition, the external storage device is occupied by reading and transfer processing, which hinders transfer / storage from within the new image management device, the internal storage device becomes over capacity, and is sent from the diagnostic imaging device. In some cases, image data cannot be stored.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to store medical image data that is likely to be requested for transfer in the internal storage device while ensuring free space in the internal storage device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical image management server and a medical image management method that can be stored.

  In order to solve the above problem, the invention according to claim 1 includes an internal storage device that temporarily stores medical image data obtained by examination, and an external storage device that stores the medical image data is connected to the outside. A medical image management server for transferring the medical image data stored in the internal storage device or the external storage device in response to a request from the outside, and transferring the medical image data stored in the internal storage device Determining means for receiving transfer schedule information indicating whether or not the medical image data stored in the internal storage device can be deleted based on the transfer schedule information; The medical image data determined to be undeletable by the determination is stored in the internal storage device, and the medical image data determined to be deletable by the determination is Transmits to the parts storage unit is characterized in that it comprises a management means for performing processing for deleting from the internal storage device. According to a second aspect of the present invention, the management unit performs the deletion processing until the free space of the internal storage device becomes a predetermined capacity or more. According to a third aspect of the present invention, medical image data obtained by the examination is stored together with the examination date and time in the internal storage device, and the determination means stores the medical image data that has passed a predetermined period from the examination date and time. It is characterized by being a target of determination. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the medical image data obtained by the examination is stored in the internal storage device together with the examination date and time, and the management means further stores the deletion processing in the internal storage device targeted for the deletion. Perform all the stored medical image data, and if the free space does not exceed the predetermined capacity, the medical image data is transmitted to the external storage device in order of the examination date and time regardless of the determination. It is deleted from the internal storage device. The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the determination means uses medical image data for which a predetermined period has elapsed from the examination date and time as the object of the determination. The invention according to claim 6 further includes an internal storage device that temporarily stores medical image data obtained by the examination together with the examination date and time, and an external storage device that stores the medical image data is connected to the outside. A medical image management server for transferring the medical image data stored in the storage device or the external storage device in response to a request from the outside, wherein the transfer is performed on the medical image data stored in the internal storage device Determining whether or not medical image data stored in the internal storage device can be deleted based on the transfer schedule information in order of oldest examination date and time. The medical image data determined to be undeleteable by the determination are stored in the internal storage device in the order of the determination and the determination, and are deleted by the determination. Management means for transmitting the medical image data determined to be acceptable to the external storage device and deleting the medical image data from the internal storage device until the free space of the internal storage device exceeds a predetermined capacity. It is said. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the management unit further performs all the medical image data stored in the internal storage device to be deleted, and the free capacity is the predetermined capacity. If not, the medical image data is transmitted to the external storage device in chronological order of the examination date and deleted from the internal storage device regardless of the determination. The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the determination means uses medical image data for which a predetermined period has elapsed from the examination date and time as the object of the determination. In the invention according to claim 9, the transfer schedule information is a reservation status of an examination for a patient, and medical image data obtained by the examination is stored in the internal storage device of the patient who is the subject of the examination. Stored together with patient information, the determination means refers to the reservation status and deletes each medical image data stored in the internal storage device if there is a patient reservation indicated by the patient information of the medical image data It is determined that it is impossible, and if there is no reservation, it is determined that deletion is possible. According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the transfer schedule information is a transfer history indicating the transferred contents, and the determination unit refers to the transfer history and stores each of the transfer history information stored in the internal storage device. The medical image data is characterized by determining whether or not the deletion is possible based on its own transfer history and a transfer history including others. In the invention described in claim 11, the transfer schedule information is an examination reservation history of a patient, and medical image data obtained by the examination is stored in the internal storage device of the patient who is the subject of the examination. The determination means refers to the reservation history, and for each medical image data stored in the internal storage device, the reservation frequency of the patient indicated by the patient information of the medical image data is predetermined. If the value is equal to or greater than the value, it is determined that the deletion is impossible, and if it is less than the predetermined value, it is determined that the deletion is possible. In the invention according to claim 12, the transfer schedule information is an examination history of examination of a patient, and medical image data obtained by the examination is stored in the internal storage device of the patient who is the subject of the examination. Stored together with patient information, the determination means refers to the examination history, and for each medical image data stored in the internal storage device, the examination frequency of the patient indicated by the patient information of the medical image data is predetermined. If the value is equal to or greater than the value, it is determined that the deletion is impossible, and if it is less than the predetermined value, it is determined that the deletion is possible. The invention according to claim 13 is characterized in that there are a plurality of pieces of transfer schedule information, and the determination unit receives the plurality of transfer schedule information and performs the determination based on the plurality of transfer schedule information. It is said. Further, in the invention according to claim 14, the plurality of transfer schedule information includes an examination reservation status for a patient, a transfer history indicating the transferred contents, an examination reservation history for a patient, or an examination schedule for a patient. Medical image data including any two or more of examination histories and obtained by the examination is stored in the internal storage device together with patient information of the patient who is the subject of the examination, and the determination means For each piece of medical image data stored in the storage device, when the plurality of transfer schedule information includes the reservation status, the reservation status is referred to and at least the patient information indicated by the patient information of the medical image data is stored. If there is a reservation and the transfer history is included, the transfer history is referred to, and the reservation history is included based on at least the transfer history including its own transfer history and others. In the case, referring to the reservation history, at least the patient reservation frequency indicated by the patient information of the medical image data is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and when including the examination history, refer to the examination history, If the patient examination frequency indicated by the patient information of the medical image data is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, it is determined that the deletion is impossible. The invention according to claim 15 includes an internal storage device that temporarily stores medical image data obtained by examination, and is connected to an external storage device that stores the medical image data externally. A medical image management method performed by a medical image management server for transferring the medical image data stored in the external storage device in response to an external request, the medical image data stored in the internal storage device Receiving transfer schedule information indicating whether or not transfer is possible, and determining whether or not medical image data stored in the internal storage device can be deleted based on the transfer schedule information; The medical image data determined not to be deleted by the determination is stored in the internal storage device, and the medical image data determined to be deleteable by the determination is stored. It is characterized by a and performing a process of deleting from the internal storage device transmits to the external storage device. The invention according to claim 16 includes an internal storage device that temporarily stores medical image data obtained by examination together with the examination date and time, and is connected to an external storage device that externally stores the medical image data. A medical image management method performed by a medical image management server for transferring the medical image data stored in a storage device or the external storage device in response to an external request, the medical image stored in the internal storage device Receiving transfer schedule information indicating whether or not the data may be transferred, and checking whether or not medical image data stored in the internal storage device can be deleted based on the transfer schedule information The medical image data determined to be unerasable by the determination is stored in the internal storage device in the order of determination in chronological order, and in the determination order. The step of transmitting the medical image data determined to be erasable by the determination to the external storage device and deleting the medical image data from the internal storage device until the free space of the internal storage device exceeds a predetermined capacity. It is characterized by including.

  According to the medical image management server and the medical image management method of the present invention, it is determined whether or not deletion is possible based on the transfer schedule information, and medical image data that may be requested to be transferred from the outside is stored in the internal storage device. Therefore, most medical image data for which transfer requests are made from the outside will be stored in the internal storage device, and the external transfer requests will be read from the internal storage device. As a result, the transfer can be performed quickly. On the other hand, medical image data that is not likely to be requested to be transferred from the outside is transmitted to the external storage device and deleted from the internal storage device, so that the free space of the internal storage device can be secured. Also, by processing in order from the old medical image data, newer medical image data that is more likely to be requested from outside is stored in the internal storage device, and older medical images that are less likely to be requested from outside are stored. Data can be deleted from internal storage. In addition, medical image data that has not passed a predetermined period after the examination is not processed, so that it is not deleted from the internal storage device before a reservation for the patient is made. In addition, as transfer schedule information indicating whether or not there is a possibility of requesting transfer, the possibility of transfer request may be determined by determining whether or not deletion is possible using reservation status, transfer history, reservation history, or inspection history. It is possible to leave certain medical image data in the internal storage device and delete from the internal storage device medical image data that may not be requested to be transferred.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a medical image management system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

〔System configuration〕
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a medical image management system according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, this medical image management system is an examination reservation management apparatus 3 for managing examination reservations (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as reservations) in a network N such as a dedicated communication line or the Internet. A medical image acquisition device 4 that performs medical examination to obtain a medical image, a medical image management server 1 that manages the medical image, an external storage device 2 that stores the medical image, and an image display terminal that displays the medical image 5 is connected.

  The examination reservation management device 3 is configured by a so-called server, and accepts reservations and manages examination order information including “examination contents”, “examination date”, “examination time”, “patient ID”, “patient name”, and the like. At the same time, it is sent via the network N to the medical image acquisition apparatus 4 that performs the examination.

  The medical image acquisition device 4 is for inspecting a target patient based on the inspection order information. The medical image acquisition device 4 acquires medical image data by performing an inspection and generates supplementary information related to the medical image data. Attached information is added to the data to form a medical image file, which is sent to the medical image management server 1 via the network N. The incidental information generated here includes “file name”, “examination ID”, “series ID”, “examination date”, “examination time”, “patient ID”, “patient name”, “examination part”, And “shooting time”. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the medical image file is composed of data of supplementary information and medical image data. Further, specifically, the medical image acquisition apparatus 4 can use an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an X-ray CT apparatus, a nuclear magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus (so-called MRI), a nuclear medicine diagnostic apparatus, or the like. The medical image can be displayed, and not only the medical image obtained by performing the examination is displayed, but also a transfer request is made to the medical image management server 1 and the medical image is displayed based on the transmitted medical image data. It is also possible to do.

  The medical image management server 1 is a so-called server that accepts a medical image file from the medical image acquisition device 4 and temporarily stores the medical image file. According to the processing procedure described later, only medical image data (only medical image data is used). (It may be a medical image file including supplementary information) so as to be stored in the external storage device 2 (details will be described later). Also, in response to a transfer request from the image display terminal 5, the target medical image data is read and transferred (not only medical image data but also a medical image file including supplementary information may be transferred).

  The external storage device 2 stores medical image data transmitted from the medical image management server 1. Although FIG. 1 shows that the medical image management server 1 is connected via the network N, it may be connected by a connection cable. The external storage device 2 accommodates a plurality of recording media such as a DVD (Digital Video Disc) and a CD (Compact Disk), and automatically selects and writes data using an autochanger mechanism. A server having a large-capacity storage means (for example, a hard disk) may be used.

  The image display terminal 5 is a so-called computer terminal, which includes application software, makes a transfer request to the medical image management server 1 via the network N, and displays a medical image on an LCD or CRT based on the transmitted medical image data. It has a function as a so-called viewer.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which each of the medical image acquisition device 4, the external storage device 2, and the image display terminal 5 is connected to the network N so that the drawing is not complicated. Alternatively, a plurality may be connected to the network N.

(Medical image management server)
Hereinafter, the medical image management server in the medical image management system of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the medical image management server according to the present invention.

  The transmission / reception unit 15 includes a transmission / reception interface circuit and executes processing for transmitting / receiving various instructions, various requests, and various data via the network N.

  The medical image temporary storage means 14 as an internal storage device is for temporarily storing a medical image file. Medical image data is written in a predetermined directory by an image data management means 11 described later, and the image data The path and accompanying information are written as a table. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of such a table 140. Further, the medical image data and the accompanying information are deleted by the image data management means 11.

  The monitoring means 13 monitors the medical image temporary storage means 14 to monitor whether or not the free capacity has become less than a predetermined capacity, and when it becomes less than the predetermined capacity, a notification to that effect is provided in the reservation information acquisition means 16 and It is sent to the image data processing determination means 11. That is, “less than a predetermined capacity” can be restated as “predetermined condition”.

  The reservation information acquisition unit 16 can be transferred via the transmission / reception unit 15 upon receiving a notification from the monitoring unit 13, that is, a notification that the free space of the medical image temporary storage unit 14 is less than a predetermined capacity. The inspection order information managed by the inspection reservation management device 3 indicating the reservation status as transfer schedule information indicating the presence or absence of the property is acquired. The reason why the reservation status is likely to be transferred will be described later.

  The image data processing determination unit 11 receives the fact that the free space of the medical image temporary storage unit 14 has become less than a predetermined capacity, and transfers the medical image data stored in the medical image temporary storage unit 14 to the transfer schedule information. Based on this, it is determined whether or not to transfer to the partial storage device 2 (details will be described later). In this example, it is determined whether or not the transfer schedule information is transferred to the external storage device 2 based on the inspection order information as the inspection order information (reservation status) acquired by the reservation information acquisition unit 16.

  Therefore, the reservation information acquisition unit 16 and the image data processing determination unit 11 respectively constitute “acquisition unit” and “determination unit” of the present invention.

  The image data management means 11 is a management means for managing medical image data, and temporarily stores the medical image file transmitted from the medical image acquisition device 4 in the medical image temporary storage means 14 as described above. Further, based on the determination result by the image data processing determination means 11, the medical image data is transmitted to the external storage device 2 via the transmission / reception unit 15 and deleted. In response to a transfer request from the image display terminal 5 or the medical image acquisition device 4, the target medical image data is read and transferred.

  With this configuration, the medical image management system manages medical image data acquired by the medical image acquisition device 4. The mode of operation will be described in detail below.

[Operation mode of medical image management system]
An example of the operation mode of the medical image management server 1 will be described with reference to the workflow using the system of the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for managing medical image data performed by the medical image management server 1 in this system.

  In this system, first, an operator operates the examination reservation management device 3 to input an examination reservation. This examination reservation is performed in view of the examination contents of the patient, the operation status of the medical image acquisition apparatus 4 and the like. Upon receiving this reservation, the examination reservation management apparatus 3 manages it as examination order information, and this examination The order information is sent to the medical image acquisition apparatus 4. Then, the medical image acquisition apparatus 4 performs an inspection according to the inspection order information, and the medical image acquisition apparatus 4 acquires medical image data and attaches the accompanying information to the medical image management server 1 for transmission. Upon receiving the medical image file, the medical image management server 1 writes the medical image data in a predetermined directory of the medical image temporary storage unit 14 as described above, and the image data management unit 11 writes the image data path and the accompanying information. Is written in the table 140.

  On the other hand, in the medical image management server 1, the monitoring unit 13 monitors the free space of the medical image temporary storage unit 14, and when it becomes less than a predetermined free space as shown in FIG. 5 (step S101 in FIG. 5, Y. Hereinafter). 5, step S101 is abbreviated as S101, and the other steps are also displayed), and a notification to that effect is sent to the image data processing determination means 11.

  Upon receiving the notification, the image data processing determination unit 12 starts processing the medical image data stored in the medical image temporary storage unit 14. First, the image data processing determination unit 12 refers to the table 140, extracts the oldest medical image data from the “examination date” and “examination time” (S102), and makes a determination based on the reservation status (S103). .

  Specifically, the reservation information acquisition unit 16 acquires the examination order information managed by the examination reservation management device 3, and the image data processing determination unit 12 determines the “patient ID” and “patient name” of the extracted medical image data. ”, Etc., specify the patient related to the medical image data, search the acquired examination order information, and if there is a reservation for the specified patient, determine“ cannot be deleted ”and make a reservation If there is no, it is determined that “deletable”.

  If it is determined that “can be deleted” (S104, Y), the image data management unit 11 transmits the medical image data to the external storage device 2 and deletes it from the medical image temporary storage unit 14 (S105). On the other hand, the external storage device 2 receives and stores the transmitted medical image data. Here, transmission, deletion, and storage are performed for medical image data, but it is also possible to perform processing for a medical image file.

  If it is determined that “cannot be deleted” (N in S104), the image data management unit 11 stores the medical image data in the medical image temporary storage unit 14 as it is (S106).

  When the processing by the image data management unit 11 is performed and the free space of the medical image temporary storage unit 14 exceeds a predetermined free space (S107, Y), the processing ends. The predetermined free space in S107 may be the same as the free space in S101 as in this example, or a free space larger than the free space in S101 is preferable.

  If the free space of the medical image temporary storage means 14 is not equal to or larger than the predetermined free space (S107, N), if there is unextracted medical image data (S108, Y), the unextracted medical image data is stored. The oldest medical image data is extracted (S109), and the processing from S103 to S109 is similarly repeated. However, if there is no unextracted medical image data (N in S108), the old medical image data is sequentially transmitted to the external storage device 2 and deleted from the medical image temporary storage unit 14 so that the medical image temporary storage unit 14 is free. The capacity is set to a predetermined free capacity or more (S110), and the process ends.

  When a transfer request for medical image data is made from the image display terminal 5 or the medical image acquisition device 4, the image data management means 11 of the medical image management server 1 receives this request and the table 140 of the medical image temporary management means 14. The medical image data is read out from the temporary medical image management means 14 or the external storage device 2 from the image data path of the target medical image data and transferred.

  Normally, when medical image data is stored in the external storage device 2, it takes longer time than reading from the medical image temporary management means 14 in the medical image management server 1. When there is a reservation, the past medical images of the patient are often displayed on the image display terminal 5 or the medical image acquisition device 4 for comparison before and after the reservation is examined. In other words, the reservation status indicates whether or not medical image data is scheduled to be transferred (used). However, in the case of the above-described medical image management server 1, the reserved medical image data of the patient remains stored in the medical image temporary storage unit 14. Therefore, most of the medical image data for which a transfer request is made from the image display terminal 5 or the medical image acquisition device 4 is stored in the medical image temporary storage means 14, so that the medical image can be read in response to an external transfer request. The temporary management means 14 is used, and as a result, the transfer can be performed quickly. On the other hand, medical image data that is not likely to be transferred from the outside is transmitted to the external storage device 2 and deleted from the temporary medical image management unit 14, so that the free space of the temporary medical image management unit 14 can be secured. .

  In addition, there is a high possibility that a patient who has undergone a newer examination will be reserved again. Therefore, when the determination and processing are repeated for all the medical image data as in this example and the predetermined free capacity is not exceeded, the newer medical image is transmitted and deleted in order from the old medical image data in S110. The data can be kept stored in the medical image temporary storage means 14, and the medical image data is reserved even if there is a transfer request from the image display terminal 5 or the medical image acquisition device 4 for display again. Is stored in the medical image temporary storage means 14, so that the transfer can be performed quickly.

  In the above description, the determination is made in order from the old medical image data, and when the predetermined free capacity is exceeded in S107, the deletion process of the medical image data is terminated. The determination may be performed on all stored medical image data, and processing may be performed based on the determination result. However, as in this example, if the deletion process is terminated when the predetermined free space is exceeded, as much medical image data as possible can be kept stored in the medical image temporary storage unit 14. If there is a low possibility of a reservation or a transfer request from the image display terminal 5 or the medical image acquisition device 4 as long as it remains stored in the medical image temporary storage means 14, the transfer is performed quickly when there is a transfer request. be able to. In addition, since the determination is performed in order from the oldest medical image data, even those that are less likely to be requested for transfer but less likely to be reserved again are deleted, and newer medical image data that is more likely to be reserved is temporarily stored. It can remain stored in the storage means 14.

  In the above-described embodiment, the medical image data stored in the medical image temporary storage unit 14 is the target of determination. However, for medical image data that has just finished the examination, the patient is reserved. There is a high possibility of entering. Therefore, for example, medical image data that has just finished the examination, for example, medical image data that has not passed one week after the examination may be excluded from the determination. This prevents the medical image data of the patient from being deleted from the medical image temporary storage device 14 before the patient is reserved.

  Further, the new or old medical image data is determined based on the examination date and time, but the date and time stored in the medical image temporary storage means 14 can also be used. Further, instead of the above-mentioned “capacity”, for example, “inspection” is configured, “series” including one or a plurality of images is used, “series” is used as a unit, and the number of stored “series” is used. It is also possible to manage “more than a predetermined free space” as “a predetermined number of series or less”.

<Second Embodiment>
A second embodiment of the medical image management system according to the present invention will be described. The medical image management system according to the first embodiment described above determines whether or not to delete the medical image data from the medical image temporary storage unit 14 of the medical image management server 1 and store it in the external storage device 2. This is performed based on the reservation status managed by the inspection reservation management apparatus 3 as information. In the present embodiment, a medical image management system that uses a transfer history as transfer schedule information will be taken up. In addition, “time” is used as the processing start timing. In the following, detailed description of configurations substantially similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted, and different points will be mainly described.

(Medical image management server)
Hereinafter, a medical image management server in the medical image management system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the medical image management server according to the present invention.

  The medical image temporary storage means 14 is for storing a medical image file as in the first embodiment. 7 shows the configuration of the table 140. When medical image data has been transferred to the image display terminal 5 or the like in the past, information indicating a transfer destination as a transfer history, that is, information for identifying a device, for example, The “device name”, “device ID”, and the like are stored in association with the image data path and the accompanying information.

  The monitoring unit 13 monitors the timer 18 and sends a notification to that effect to the image data processing determination unit 11 when a predetermined time as a predetermined condition comes.

  The history information analysis means 17 analyzes the transfer history stored in the table 140 and obtains an analysis result.

  The image data processing determination means 11 receives the transfer time for the medical image data stored in the medical image temporary storage means 14 and the history by the history information analysis means 17 when the predetermined time is reached. Based on the analysis result, whether or not to transfer to the external storage device 2 is determined (details will be described later).

  The image data management unit 11 manages medical image data as in the first embodiment, and writes the transfer destination in the table 140 as described above when the medical image data is transferred.

  With this configuration, the medical image management system manages medical image data acquired by the medical image acquisition device 4. The mode of operation will be described in detail below.

[Operation mode of medical image management system]
An example of the operation mode of the medical image management server 1 in this embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for managing medical image data performed by the medical image management server 1 in this system. Hereinafter, differences mainly from the first embodiment will be described.

  In the medical image management server 1, the monitoring unit 13 monitors the timer 18, and as shown in FIG. 5, when the predetermined time comes (S 200, Y), a notification to that effect is sent to the image data processing determination unit 11. send. In this way, by using “time” as the start timing of the process, for example, if the predetermined time is set to midnight, the process can be performed without overlapping with other work.

  Upon receiving the notification, the image data processing determination unit 11 determines that the free space of the medical image temporary storage unit 14 is not equal to or larger than the predetermined free space (S201, N), and stores the medical data stored in the medical image temporary storage unit 14 Start processing image data. However, if the free space of the medical image temporary storage unit 14 is equal to or larger than the predetermined free space (S201, Y), the process is not performed. The following S202 to S210 correspond to S102 to S110 of the first embodiment, respectively, but the determination performed in S203 is performed based on the analysis result by the history information analysis unit 17 as follows.

  First, the analysis by the history information analysis means 17 will be described. The history information analysis unit 17 refers to the table 140 and collects, for example, the number of medical image data transferred to each medical image acquisition device or image display terminal for each part. An example of the summarized results is shown in FIG. From the results shown in FIG. 9, the total number of head medical image data is 450, of which 400 is for the medical image acquisition device A, 300 is for the medical image acquisition device B, 200 is for the image display terminal A, It can be seen that 450 is transferred to the image display terminal B. Here, for example, it is determined that there is a high possibility that the medical image data of the part is transferred to the medical image acquisition apparatus or the image display terminal to which 90% or more of the medical image data of the part is transferred. If it is, the head may be transferred to the image display terminal B, the chest may be transferred to the image display terminal A, the abdomen may be transferred to the medical image acquisition device B, and the other may be transferred to the image display terminal B. It is calculated | required as an analysis result that is high.

  Then, the image data processing determination means 12 determines from the analysis result that the medical image data is not transferred to the image display terminal B from the part information and transfer history of the extracted medical image data. Therefore, if it is determined that “cannot be deleted” and has already been transferred to the image display terminal B, a medical image acquisition device other than the image display terminal B or Since it is unlikely to be transferred to the image display terminal, it is determined as “deletable”. That is, the transfer history can be said to be transfer schedule information indicating whether or not medical image data is scheduled to be transferred (used). In this case, it can be said that the image data processing determination means 12 has a function as an acquisition means for acquiring the transfer schedule information.

  In this way, the transfer history can be used as information indicating the possibility of transfer. Other examples of the history as information indicating the possibility of transfer are the examination history, for example, the latest examination frequency (for example, the latest one month) obtained from the “examination date” for the patient, the reservation The latest reservation frequency for a patient obtained from the history, for example, examination order information obtained using reservation information acquisition means (not shown in FIG. 6) may be used. In the case of the inspection frequency, the medical image data of the patient having the inspection frequency equal to or higher than the predetermined frequency is determined as “cannot be deleted”. In the case of the reservation frequency, the medical image data of the patient having the reservation frequency equal to or higher than the predetermined frequency is “ It may be determined that “deletion is not possible”.

  In the above description (first and second embodiments), specific examples of the transfer schedule information are shown. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and indicates whether or not there is a possibility of transfer. I just need it.

<Third Embodiment>
A third embodiment of the medical image management system according to the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, there are a plurality of transfer schedule information indicating the possibility of transfer, and a medical image management system using reservation status and history will be taken as an example.

  FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the medical image management server according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, there are provided a plurality of acquisition means for acquiring transfer schedule information, in this example, reservation information acquisition means 16 and history information analysis means 17, and the image data processing determination means 11 is based on a plurality of transfer schedule information. In this example, whether or not to transfer to the external storage device 2 is determined based on the examination order information acquired by the reservation information acquisition unit 16 and the analysis result obtained by the history information analysis unit 17 acquiring and analyzing the history. That is, in S203 in the second embodiment, when there is a patient examination reservation related to the medical image data, and the medical image data part is the head, the medical image data of the head is transferred. If it has not been transferred to the medical image acquisition device or image display terminal (image display terminal B in the second embodiment), it is determined that “cannot be deleted”, that is, each piece of transfer schedule information is transferred. It is determined that “deletion is not possible” when it indicates the possibility of this. The other is determined as “deletable”.

  In this way, medical image data that is more likely to be transferred can be kept stored in the medical image temporary storage unit 14.

  The configuration detailed in the above embodiment is merely an example for carrying out the present invention, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. .

It is a block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the medical image management system which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the medical image management server in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the medical image file which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the table memorize | stored in the medical image temporary storage means of a medical image management server. It is a flowchart showing an example of operation | movement of the medical image management server in 1st Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the medical image management server in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the table memorize | stored in the medical image temporary storage means of a medical image management server. It is a flowchart showing an example of operation | movement of the medical image management server in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the analysis which a log | history information analysis means performs. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the medical image management server in 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Medical image management server 11 Image data management means 12 Image data processing determination means 13 Monitoring means 14 Medical image temporary storage means 15 Transmission / reception means 16 Reservation information acquisition means 17 History information analysis means 18 Timer 2 External storage device 3 Examination reservation management apparatus 4 Medical image acquisition device 5 Image display terminal N Network

Claims (16)

The medical device is provided with an internal storage device that temporarily stores medical image data obtained by examination, and is connected to an external storage device that stores the medical image data externally, and is stored in the internal storage device or the external storage device A medical image management server for transferring image data in response to an external request,
Medical image data stored in the internal storage device based on the transfer schedule information upon receiving transfer schedule information indicating the possibility of transfer of the medical image data stored in the internal storage device A determination means for determining whether data can be deleted;
The medical image data determined not to be deleted by the determination is stored in the internal storage device, the medical image data determined to be deleteable by the determination is transmitted to the external storage device, and from the internal storage device A medical image management server comprising management means for performing processing for deletion.   The image management server according to claim 1, wherein the management unit performs the deleting process until a free capacity of the internal storage device exceeds a predetermined capacity. Medical image data obtained by the examination is stored together with the examination date and time in the internal storage device,
The medical image management server according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit uses medical image data for which a predetermined period has elapsed from the examination date and time as the determination target. Medical image data obtained by the examination is stored together with the examination date and time in the internal storage device,
The management means further performs all of the medical image data stored in the internal storage device as a target for the processing to be deleted, and relates to the determination when the free capacity does not exceed the predetermined capacity. The image management server according to claim 2, wherein the medical image data is transmitted to the external storage device in order from the oldest examination date and deleted from the internal storage device.   The medical image management server according to claim 4, wherein the determination unit sets medical image data for which a predetermined period has elapsed from the examination date and time as the determination target. An internal storage device that temporarily stores medical image data obtained by the examination together with the examination date and time is externally connected to an external storage device that stores the medical image data, and is stored in the internal storage device or the external storage device A medical image management server for transferring the medical image data in response to an external request,
Medical image data stored in the internal storage device based on the transfer schedule information upon receiving transfer schedule information indicating the possibility of transfer of the medical image data stored in the internal storage device A determination means for determining whether or not data can be deleted in chronological order of the inspection date and time;
In the order of the determination, the medical image data determined to be undeleteable by the determination is kept stored in the internal storage device, and the medical image data determined to be deleteable by the determination is transmitted to the external storage device A medical image management server, comprising: management means for performing processing for deleting from the internal storage device until the free space of the internal storage device exceeds a predetermined capacity.   The management means further performs all of the medical image data stored in the internal storage device as a target for the processing to be deleted, and relates to the determination when the free capacity does not exceed the predetermined capacity. The image management server according to claim 6, wherein the medical image data is transmitted to the external storage device in ascending order of the examination date and deleted from the internal storage device.   The medical image management server according to claim 6, wherein the determination unit sets medical image data for which a predetermined period has elapsed from the examination date and time as the determination target. The transfer schedule information is an examination reservation status for a patient,
Medical image data obtained by the examination is stored in the internal storage device together with patient information of the patient who is the subject of the examination,
The determination means refers to the reservation status, determines that, for each medical image data stored in the internal storage device, if there is a patient reservation indicated by the patient information of the medical image data, the reservation is not allowed. The medical image management server according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the medical image management server determines that deletion is possible if there is not. The transfer schedule information is a transfer history indicating the transferred contents,
The determination unit refers to the transfer history, and determines whether the deletion is possible or not based on the transfer history including the transfer history including the other transfer history for each medical image data stored in the internal storage device. The medical image management server according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The transfer schedule information is an examination reservation history for a patient,
Medical image data obtained by the examination is stored in the internal storage device together with patient information of the patient who is the subject of the examination,
The determination unit refers to the reservation history and deletes each medical image data stored in the internal storage device if the patient reservation frequency indicated by the patient information of the medical image data is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The medical image management server according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the medical image management server determines that it is impossible and determines that deletion is possible if it is less than a predetermined value. The transfer schedule information is an examination history of examination about a patient,
Medical image data obtained by the examination is stored in the internal storage device together with patient information of the patient who is the subject of the examination,
The determination means refers to the examination history and deletes each medical image data stored in the internal storage device if the patient examination frequency indicated by the patient information of the medical image data is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The medical image management server according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the medical image management server determines that it is impossible and determines that deletion is possible if it is less than a predetermined value. The transfer schedule information is plural,
The medical image management server according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit receives a plurality of transfer schedule information and performs the determination based on the plurality of transfer schedule information. The plurality of transfer schedule information includes any two or more of examination reservation status for the patient, transfer history indicating the transferred contents, examination appointment history for the patient, or examination history of the examination for the patient Including
Medical image data obtained by the examination is stored in the internal storage device together with patient information of the patient who is the subject of the examination,
The determination means for each medical image data stored in the internal storage device,
The plurality of transfer schedule information includes
If the reservation status is included,
With reference to the reservation status, there is a patient reservation at least indicated by the patient information of the medical image data,
When including the transfer history,
With reference to the transfer history, at least based on its own transfer history and transfer history including others,
When including the reservation history,
With reference to the reservation history, at least the reservation frequency of the patient indicated by the patient information of the medical image data is a predetermined value or more,
When including the inspection history,
With reference to the examination history, if at least the examination frequency of the patient indicated by the patient information of the medical image data is a predetermined value or more,
The medical image management server according to claim 13, wherein it is determined that the deletion is impossible. The medical device is provided with an internal storage device that temporarily stores medical image data obtained by examination, and is connected to an external storage device that stores the medical image data externally, and is stored in the internal storage device or the external storage device A medical image management method performed by a medical image management server that transfers image data in response to an external request,
Receiving transfer schedule information indicating whether or not the transfer is possible for the medical image data stored in the internal storage device;
Determining whether medical image data stored in the internal storage device can be deleted based on the transfer schedule information; and
The medical image data determined not to be deleted by the determination is stored in the internal storage device, the medical image data determined to be deleteable by the determination is transmitted to the external storage device, and from the internal storage device And a step of performing a process of deleting the medical image management method. An internal storage device that temporarily stores medical image data obtained by the examination together with the examination date and time is externally connected to an external storage device that stores the medical image data, and is stored in the internal storage device or the external storage device A medical image management method performed by a medical image management server that transfers the medical image data in response to an external request,
Receiving transfer schedule information indicating whether or not the transfer is possible for the medical image data stored in the internal storage device;
Determining, based on the transfer schedule information, whether or not medical image data stored in the internal storage device can be deleted in ascending order of the examination date and time;
In the order of the determination, the medical image data determined to be undeleteable by the determination is kept stored in the internal storage device, and the medical image data determined to be deleteable by the determination is transmitted to the external storage device Performing the process of deleting from the internal storage device until the free space of the internal storage device exceeds a predetermined capacity.

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