JPH07134768A - Medical image managing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute the storage of a medical image (daily image) generated on a day, the retrieval and reading of a prescribed past image relating to the daily image and the transmission of the read past image and the daily image to an image work station to be a requesting source only by one operation in a medical image managing device for converting a picture generated from an image generator into a common image format, storing the converted image in an external storage device, retrieving a required image by an image retrieving device, reading out the retrieved image from the external storage device, and transferring the read image to the image work station to be the retrieval requesting image. CONSTITUTION:The medical image managing device is provided with an image retrieval/transfer control means 31 for retrieving a past image having contents coincident with ID specifying a subject and its photographing portion and included in a previously determined range by an image retrieving device 10 based upon image information having at least an image requesting source, the ID for specifying the subject and the photographed portion which are annexed to a daily image, reading out the retrieved past picture from an external storage device 9 and transferring the read image to the work station to be the requesting source together with the daily image.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medical image management apparatus for managing medical images using a local area network constructed in a hospital or between hospitals, and more particularly to a certain department such as a radiology department or a radiology department. When sending the same day's image taken by a patient to the department (requester) that requested the shooting, such as internal medicine, surgery or hospital ward, the same storage of the patient already stored with one sending operation The present invention relates to a medical image management apparatus adapted to send a stored new image (past image) in a predetermined range of a part together to the request source.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows the overall configuration of a medical image management apparatus for managing medical images using a local area network constructed in a hospital or between hospitals. In FIG. 4, 1 is a high-speed local area network (hereinafter, abbreviated as a network) that uses an optical fiber or the like as a transmission line, and 2a and 2b are internal medicine for performing image observation and diagnosis, a requested department such as surgery. Image workstations, 3, 4, 5, 6 installed in the examination room of the (requester) X
Line CT, MR, CR (ComputedRadi
Graffiti) and DR (Digital Radi)
image generating device such as ography), 7a, 7b, 7
Reference numerals c and 7d denote converter devices which convert images formed from various formats received from the image generators 3 to 6 into the same image format and can also be used as an image buffer.

Reference numerals 8a and 8b denote images stored in an internal storage device (not shown) and external storage devices, particularly large-capacity external storage devices such as optical disk devices capable of storing a plurality of large-capacity storage media such as optical disks. An image filing control device 10 that controls the devices 9a and 9b to perform image storage (registration) and the like is a database device that manages image attribute information and performs image retrieval and the like.

FIG. 5 shows the converter device 7 (7a, 7a).
b, 7c, 7d), and FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the image filing control device 8 (8a, 8b). In both figures, 11 is an MPU unit for controlling each part of the apparatus, 1
Reference numeral 2 is a memory unit for storing programs and various tables. Reference numeral 13 denotes an image workstation unit including an image processing unit for performing image processing and an image display unit for performing image display. By including this, the converter device 7 and the image filing control device 8 can also function as an image workstation. Becomes

Reference numeral 14 denotes a network interface including an image input / output interface for connecting the network 1 to the converter device 7 and the image filing control device 8, and 15 stores images, image information tables and other various tables, programs and the like. An interface (magnetic disk device interface) 17 with the magnetic disk device 16 as an internal storage device, and an interface (floppy disk device interface) 17 with the floppy disk device 18.

Reference numeral 19 denotes an image generating device interface for connecting the image generating devices 3 to 6 and the converter device 7. Reference numeral 20 denotes a large capacity external storage device for connecting the large capacity external storage device 9 and the image filing control device 8. An apparatus interface 21 is a main bus for connecting the converter apparatus 7, each unit in the image filing control apparatus 8 and interfaces.

The converter device 7 can also function as the image filing control device 8 by including a large-capacity external storage device 9 such as an optical disk device and a large-capacity external storage device interface 20 for connecting the same. Becomes

4 to 6, each image generating device 3 to
The medical image generated in 6 is transferred to the converter devices 7a to 7d connected to the image generating devices 3 to 6 and subjected to necessary processing such as image format conversion in the converter devices 7a to 7d, and then via the network 1. The image is transmitted to the image filing control device 8 (8a, 8b) that controls the large capacity external storage device 9 (9a, 9b). The image filing control device 8 (8a, 8b) that has received the image stores the received image in a temporary buffer such as the magnetic disk device 16 and registers the attribute information of the image in the database device 10. After that, the image is registered in the storage medium in the large-capacity external storage device 9 (9a, 9b) and stored for a long term or permanently. In addition, a large-capacity external storage device 9
When reading an image stored in (9a, 9b), the image workstation 2 (2a, 2b) issues a search request to the database device 10 via the network 1, and based on the search result, a network request is issued. 1 to the image filing control device 8 (8a, 8b),
An image read request from the mass storage device 9 (9a, 9b) is issued. Image filing control device 8 (8a,
In response to the read request, 8b) reads the image stored in the large-capacity external storage device 9 (9a, 9b) and sends it to the requesting image workstation 2 (2a, 2b) via the network 1. .

In such a medical image management apparatus, an image workstation of the same day as a requester of the image of the same day, that is, an image taken on the same day of a patient (the same day image) and a past image of the same part of the patient already stored. 2 (2a, 2
In the case of comparative reading in b), the procedure was as follows.

First, the image of the day is transmitted from the converter device 7 (7a to 7d) to the image workstation 2 (2a, 2b) of the requesting department (request source) via the network 1 in order to interpret the image. Thereafter, the same image is again stored from the converter device 7 (7a to 7d) via the network 1 in order to be stored in the large capacity external storage device 9 (9a, 9b) through the image filing control device 8 (8a, 8b).
Had been sent to.

In order to read the past image to the image workstation 2 (2a, 2b) of the requesting department, the image workstation 2 (2a, 2b) of the requesting department sends it to the database device 10 via the network 1. Issue a search request for the past image you want to read. Then, based on the search result, the image workstation 2 (2a, 2a
From b), a read request is issued to the image filing control device 8 (8a, 8b) via the network 1.
The past image transmitted from the image filing control device 8 (8a, 8b) via the network 1 is received by the image workstation 2 (2a, 2b) of the request department.

[0012]

As described above, in the conventional medical image management apparatus, the image taken on the day is transmitted to the image workstation 2 (2a, 2b) of the requesting department and the image filing control device 8 is used. Two transmission operations including transmission to (8a, 8b) are performed by the converter device 7 (7a).
~ 7d), there is a problem that it takes time and labor for that.

When a radiogram interpreter such as a doctor reads the past image to the image workstation 2 (2a, 2b) of the requesting department, a search instruction to the database device 10 and the image filing control device 8 (8a, 8b) are performed. There is a problem that it takes time and trouble to read instructions from.

In particular, during image interpretation and examination, the doctor has almost no time to issue instructions such as retrieval and reading of past images at the image workstation 2 (2a, 2b), and comparative image interpretation and examination are quick. ， There was a problem that it could not be done smoothly.

The object of the present invention is to store a medical image taken on the day, retrieve and read a predetermined past image relating to the image taken on the day from an external storage device, and to a request source image workstation of the image taken on the day. It is possible to execute the transmission together with the images taken on the same day with a single operation, which eliminates the time and labor required in the past, and in particular makes it possible to perform comparative reading of images, quick and smooth examination. It is to provide a medical image management device.

[0016]

The above-mentioned object is to convert a medical image from an image generating device into a common image format by a converter device and store it in an external storage device via an image filing control device. In the medical image management apparatus that retrieves from the external storage device and transfers the image to the image workstation that is the source of the search request, by requesting at least the image attached to the image generated on the day from the image generation device. Originally, from the image information having the ID and the imaged region for identifying the subject, the image search device searches for a past image in a predetermined range where the ID and the imaged region match, and the retrieved past image is stored in the external storage. Image retrieval transfer that reads out from the device and transfers to the requesting image workstation together with the image generated on the day It is achieved by providing a control means.

[0017]

The image retrieval / transfer control means stores the medical image generated (photographed) on the day in the external storage device by one transmission operation from the converter device connected to each image generation device to the image filing control device. To the image workstation of the request department for image interpretation,
The labor and time required for the operator with the converter device are reduced by half.

Further, when the image filing control device receives the image generated on the current day, the past image related to the image generated on the current day is searched from the image information of the image, and the searched past image is read from the external storage device, Since the images generated on the day are transferred to the request source image workstation, there is no time and effort required for searching and reading the past images. Especially, it is possible to compare and interpret the images at the request source, speed up medical examination,
Smoothing is realized.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a medical image management apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1,
2, 3 (to 6) and 8 to 10 are the same as in FIG. 7
4, which also shows a converter device as in FIG. 4, is provided with an image search / transfer control means 31. In this case, the image retrieval / transfer control means 31 attaches at least the requester of the image attached to the medical image generated on the day from the image generating device 3 (to 6), ID (a code mainly for identifying the patient (subject)). And the image information having the imaged part, the past image of a predetermined range in which the ID and the imaged part match is retrieved and read out, and the image of the requester of the image is acquired together with the image generated on the day of the past image. It is to be transferred to the station.

The operation of the device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Image generator 3 (to 6)
The image generated in step S1 is received by the converter device 7,
At that time, the converter device 7 also acquires image information such as an ID attached to the image, a patient name, a photographing date, a requested department name (request source) of the image, and a photographing region together with the image.
6) (step 401).

The converter device 7 refers to the requested department transmission destination address table 501 as shown in FIG. 5A, which is created from the requested department name, extracts the transmission address of the requested department as the transmission destination, Write in the image information (step 402). Then, the image and the image information are recorded in the magnetic disk device 16 (see FIG. 5) in the converter device 7.

The operator sends the image to the image workstation unit 13 of the converter device 7 (see FIG. 5).
When the instruction operation is performed with, the converter device 7 changes the image captured on the day (the image on the day) in the magnetic disk device 16 to
The data is transmitted to the image filing control device 8 via the network 22 (step 403).

When the image filing control device 8 receives the image on the day sent from the converter device 7 via the network 1 (step 404), the transmission address of the requested department is included in the image information. Only the image information of the image is taken out, and the past image search table 502 whose items are the ID, imaged part, and image type
(See FIG. 5B) (step 405).

After receiving the image on the day, the image filing control device 8 has the same ID, the same imaged part, and the same image type as the writing information of the past image search table 502,
A search request for a stored new image (this is referred to as a past image) in a predetermined range (a certain period, an appropriate number, such as a certain period from the present to the past, a certain number, etc.) is sent to the database device 10 via the network 1. It is issued for (step 406).

After the search by the database device 10, the image filing control device 8 retrieves the archived image read table 50 from the search result and the past image search table 502.
3 (see FIG. 5C) is created (step 407), and the past image is read from the mass storage device 9 (step 408). At that time, the transmission address of the same requested department as the image on the current day is written in the image information of the read image (step 409).

After reading the past image from the large-capacity external storage device 9, the image filing control device 8 uses the magnetic disk device 16 of the image filing control device 8 (see FIG. 6).
Among the images in the table, only the images whose transmission address of the requested department is in the image information are displayed in the requested department transmission image table 504 (FIG. 5).
(See (d)) (step 410). And
The past image written in the requested department transmission image table 504, together with the image of the day, is displayed on the image filing control device 8
To the image workstation 2 of the requesting department via the network 22 (step 411).

Further, the requested department transmission image table 504 has an item of a flag indicating that transmission has been completed. For example, when the power of the image department workstation 2 of the requested department is not turned on or the magnetic disk device therein has an empty capacity. Even if the image transmission to the image workstation 2 of the requested department is initially impossible, such as when there is no such request, the presence or absence of the flag in the requested department transmission image table 504 is referred to so that the image that cannot be transmitted is retransmitted. You can do it.

The current day image transmitted to the image filing control device 8 is temporarily recorded in the magnetic disk device 16 (see FIG. 6) in the image filing control device 8,
After a certain period of time, the data is stored in the large-capacity external storage device 9 for a long term or permanently through the bus 21 and the large-capacity external storage device interface 20 (see FIG. 6).

FIG. 3 exemplifies a table in the case where images of IDs A and B are simultaneously processed, but the table is not limited to this. Further, the same image type may not be included as a search condition for a stored new image (past image) in a predetermined range that is transmitted together with the image on the day. Further, the same imaged part may be defined as an imaged part that is the same as or near the imaged part of the image on the day. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the image retrieval transfer control means 31 is provided in the converter device 7, but the invention is not limited to this.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, the one-time transmission operation from the converter device connected to each image generating device to the medical image generated (photographed) on the day to the image filing control device, The transmission for storage in the external storage device and the transmission to the image workstation of the requested department for image interpretation are performed, which has the effect of reducing the labor and time required for the operator by the converter device by half.

Further, when the image filing control device receives an image generated on the current day, a past image related to the image generated on the day is searched from the image information of the image, and the searched past image is read from the external storage device, Since the images generated on the day are transferred to the request source image workstation, there is no time and effort required for searching and reading the past images. Especially, it is possible to compare and interpret the images at the request source, speed up medical examination,
Smoothing can be realized. For example, a doctor (ComputedRadio) of a radiology department or a radiology department, who is examined by an internal medicine
When the chest is imaged with the (graphy), the image taken on the day and a predetermined past image of the same patient and the same site as the image taken during the return from the radiology department (radiology department) to the internal medicine after the imaging
In the present invention, the requesting doctor of the internal medicine transfers the images to the image workstation of the internal medicine without any operation. Therefore, at the time of medical examination, those images are immediately displayed on the image workstation, and the comparative image is read. ， It is possible to make a diagnosis, which has the effect of facilitating and facilitating medical examination.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of an embodiment of a medical image management apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the same device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of various tables used for the operation of the above apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a medical image management apparatus.

5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a converter device in FIG.

6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image filing control device in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Local area network 2, 2a, 2b ... Image workstation 3, 4, 5, 6 ... Image generating device 7, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d ... Converter device 8, 8a, 8b ... Image filing control device 9, 9a, 9b ... Large-capacity external storage device (optical disk device) 10 ... Database device (image retrieval device) 11 ... MPU unit 12 ... Memory unit 13 ... Image workstation unit 14 ... Network interface 15 ... Magnetic disk device interface 16 ... Magnetic disk device 17 ... Floppy disk device interface 18 ... Floppy disk device 19 ... Image generation device Interface 20 ... Interface for large-capacity external storage device 21 ... Main bus 31 ... Image search and transfer control means 501 ... Requesting department transmission destination address table 502 ... Past image search table 503 ... Stored image reading table 504 ... Requesting department transmission image table

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Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A medical image from an image generating device is converted into a common image format by a converter device, stored in an external storage device via an image filing control device, and a desired image is searched by an image searching device, In a medical image management apparatus that reads out from the external storage device and transfers it to an image workstation that is a search request source, at least an image requester attached to an image generated on the day from the image generation apparatus, an ID for identifying a subject, and From the image information having the imaged part, the image search device searches for a past image in a predetermined range in which the ID and the imaged part match, and the searched past image is read from the external storage device and generated on the same day. Image retrieval and transfer control means for transferring to the requesting image workstation together with the selected image. Medical image management device.