KR100878291B1 - DICOM image managementing system and method for managementing thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention can edit the image and information without changing the original DICOM image stored in the PACS server can be managed as your own information, and the information required by creating a virtual folder for each client in the PACS server In order to minimize the network load, the DICOM image management system and management method for clients can be provided. Such a client DICOM image management system of the present invention is a PACS system in which a plurality of client terminals connected to a PACS server to search and read a stored DICOM image, PACS responsible for the overall control for the acquisition, storage, and transmission of the DICOM image A server and a virtual client folder are created in the PACS server to store additional information related to an image selected by the client from the original DICOM image, and the original DICOM image and the virtual client in response to a request for additional information inquiry from the client. A client image management server for transmitting additional information stored in a folder to the client terminal, and a communication network connecting the PACS server, the client image management server, and the client terminal to support storage, inquiry, and transmission of a DICOM image. The features.

DICOM, Virtual Folders

Description

DICOM image management system and method for management

1 is a configuration diagram of a typical PACS system

2 is a block diagram of a client DICOM image management system of the present invention.

3 is a schematic flowchart for explaining a DICOM image management method for a client according to the present invention;

4 is a window screen showing a tree structure of a virtual folder created in a PACS server according to the DICOM image management method for a client of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a virtual folder creation method according to the DICOM image management method for a client of the present invention.

6 is a window screen showing a case created in the PACS server according to the DICOM image management method for clients of the present invention

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of storing additional information in a virtual folder according to the DICOM image management method for a client of the present invention.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of querying additional information stored in a virtual folder according to the DICOM image management method for a client of the present invention.

9 is a diagram illustrating an icon and a description according to a security setting form according to a DICOM image management method for a client of the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

100: PACS server 110_1, ... 110_n: client terminal

120: client image management server 130: switching hub

140: database management server

The present invention relates to a PACS (Picture Arching Communication System), in particular DICOM image management for clients that can edit the image and information without changing the original DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) image and information stored on the server A system and method thereof are provided.

In general, clinical diagnosis is a big part of treating patients in the medical treatment of patients' lives, and advances in medical technology are helping to make accurate clinical diagnoses, and their dependence will be even higher. .

Thus, although medical imaging equipments such as computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have become essential in modern medicine, medical services have been used as medical imaging equipment. By taking abnormalities and printing them to film and passing them to the patient's doctor, a lot of time and manpower is put into the final clinical diagnosis, which not only helps inefficient resource management, but also helps the hospital's finances. The patient could not receive prompt and accurate treatment.

In addition, in Korea, X-Ray film is mandatory to be stored for five years. In each hospital, X-Ray film is classified and stored by patient, and as the size of the hospital increases and the number of patients increases, The number of X-Ray films to be increased increases, which causes problems such as waste of space and manpower due to the storage and management of the films, for example, re-shooting due to poor film and poor film storage, and film loss. Problems such as medical disputes, time spent looking for archived films, and waste of manpower are serious.

Meanwhile, with the development of computer and communication technology, a medical system dealing with patient's life is researching and developing a system that provides medical service using computer and data communication technology. For example, a computer communication network is installed throughout the hospital. Medical X-Ray film is converted into digital data to make a database, stored in a large storage medium connected to the server, and when needed, a medical monitor that allows each office to view the X-ray image of the desired patient through a computer monitor. Picture Arching Communication System (PACS) (hereinafter abbreviated as "PACS") has recently been introduced.

The PACS acquires medical images, especially radiological diagnostic images in digital form, and then transmits them through a high-speed network, and the medical images are stored as digital data instead of the past X-ray film. It is a comprehensive digital image management system and transmission system in which radiologists and clinical doctors use an image retrieval device to treat a patient instead of a conventional film view box.

The ultimate goal of PACS is to build a filmless hospital system, which includes image display and processing, data communication and networking, databases, and information management. Information management, user interface, data storage and management, etc. should be comprehensively established.

Such PACS can be divided into centralized system and distributed system according to the storage and retrieval path method of image data. Centralized system stores all image data in large central storage media, and when requested, the corresponding data As a method of transmitting to the inquiry system, all users (doctors) can access all the image data regardless of time and place, while data transmission is performed after the inquiry request, so a very fast data transmission speed is required. do.

On the other hand, a distributed system is a system for distributing and storing image data in one or more storage media according to a business characteristic, and each workstation temporarily stores a cached image of a local image (Local image storage). storage) characteristics.

Such a distributed system can be configured as a slow network, which is relatively slower than a centralized system, but the disadvantage is that it takes a lot of time to transmit data when the video data that requires inquiry is not present in the local workstation. have.                         

As shown in FIG. 1, most PACSs are largely obtained from a server 1, a plurality of image acquisition apparatuses 3 such as X-rays, CTs, and MRIs, and digital images obtained from the image acquisition apparatuses 3. Image storage device 5 for storing data, image output device 7 for outputting and viewing image data, and image search for querying and viewing image data stored in the image storage device 5 as necessary. Device 9, a hub 11 for determining the data transmission path therebetween, and a network 13 for interconnecting the devices, and so on, where the important elements are DICOM (Digital Imaging). and Communications in Medicine) protocol.

DICOM refers to a communication protocol that effectively supports communication between various digital image acquisition devices, such as nuclear medicine and ultrasound, and other information systems, using an industry standard network, and in 1984, the American Radiation Department (American). The College of Radiology (ACR) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) jointly initiated standardization, the first of which was established in 1985 the following year. After two revisions in 1988 and 1993, the current 3.0 revision became known as DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine).

The background of the DICOM protocol has emerged as the medical industry has been informatized, and each medical device has been used in conjunction with each other rather than independently, and the medical imaging equipment has been used to exchange medical images and related information. Because some promise was needed.                         

In other words, in the past, there is no standard, and different manufacturers have different methods of storing and communicating information depending on the type of video equipment and the model of the video equipment. Therefore, expensive gateways are purchased to exchange information with each other. It had to or had no communication at all.

However, with the advent of the DICOM standard, equipment that conforms to this standard is able to exchange information with each other, regardless of the manufacturer or type of equipment, even if no special converter is required. This means that not only communication between DICOM-supported equipments existing in the hospital is possible, but also remote communication is possible.

In addition, since the network configuration method follows the standard method widely used in the computer industry, the DICOM standard can be easily applied to all medical imaging systems, such as connection between hospitals, communication between remote clinics, and remote diagnosis systems.

The main feature of DICOM is to query image information generated by various digital imaging equipment including CT, MRI, Ultra sound (U.S.), Nuclear Medicine (NM), and to the image output device connected to the search network. Patient information, appointment information, examination information, result information in connection with hospital information system (HIS) or radiology information system (RIS) using digital record media such as information exchange, compact disk (CD) Increasingly, the trend is expanding to include endoscopy, radiotherapy planning, and pathology.                         

However, in the PACS system as described above, if the client needs an image while the client views the original DICOM image and wants to manage it as his own information, the PACS server stores the original DICOM image and its additional information stored in the PACS server. It is stored and managed in the local computer connected to the server.

However, when storing and managing DICOM images on the local computer, the network load between the client terminal and the PACS server is increased. That is, not only does the network load increase when the DICOM image stored in the PACS server is stored on the local computer. When the client inquires the information stored in the local computer, the PACS server requests the DICOM image and the additional information from the local computer. There was a problem in that the network load between the client terminal and the PACS server increases because it receives the data and transmits it back to the client terminal.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, a client DICOM image that can be managed as your own information by editing the image and information without changing the original DICOM image stored in the PACS server The purpose is to provide a management system and management method.

Another object of the present invention is to create a virtual folder for each client on the server to store only the additional information related to the image required by the client from the original DICOM image in the virtual folder, so that the additional information and PACS when the client request It is to provide DICOM image management system and management method for client that minimize network load between client computers by transmitting original DICOM image stored in server to client.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a DICOM image management system and management method for a client having a security function that can block an unauthorized client from accessing a virtual folder.

The client DICOM image management system of the present invention for achieving the above object is a PACS system connected to a plurality of client terminals for viewing and reading the DICOM image stored in the medical image storage device, the acquisition, storage, transmission of the DICOM image A PACS server responsible for overall control for the server, and a virtual client folder in the PACS server to store additional information related to the image selected by the client from the original DICOM image, and in response to the request for additional information inquiry of the client. A client image management server which transmits an original DICOM image and additional information stored in the virtual client folder to the client terminal, supports the storage, inquiry, and transmission of a DICOM image by connecting the PACS server, client image management server, and client terminal. doing Characterized in that it comprises a communication network.

The client DICOM image management method of the present invention comprises the steps of creating a virtual client folder in a PACS server according to a client's request, and storing a plurality of additional information related to an image selected by the client in the virtual client folder. Generating an additional case, storing the additional information related to the image selected by the client from the original DICOM image in the case, and corresponding additional information and the additional information stored in the case according to the request for additional information inquiry of the client. And providing the extracted original DICOM image to the client.

Hereinafter, a DICOM image management system and a management method for a client of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a schematic diagram of a client DICOM image management system according to the present invention. The PACS server 100 manages and controls the entire system and a virtual client folder in the PACS server 100 at the client's request. Generate and store additional information related to the selected image in the original DICOM image received from the client terminals 110_1, 110_2, ... 110_n. When the client requests the inquiry of the stored additional information, the requested additional information and the additional information are stored. The client image management server 120 to provide the extracted original DICOM image to the client terminal (110_1, 110_2, ... 110_n), the database management server 140 for managing the database of the PACS server 100 and the Connect and store the PACOM server 100, the client image management server 120, and the client terminals 110_1, 110_2, ... 110_n to the DICOM image. , It is configured to include a communication network 150 that supports transmission. For reference, reference numeral 130 denotes a switching hub.

Here, the additional information related to the image selected from the original DICOM image is information related to an image selected by the client from the original DICOM image stored in the PACS server 100. For example, location information that the selected image occupies in the original DICOM image. Reading information of the image and the doctor's reading information and the client's editing information on the selected semantic means additional information such as flip, rotation, reverse, window width / level, layout, etc. of the image.

The client image management server 120 generates a virtual client folder in the PACS server 100 in response to the virtual folder creation request of the client, and then provides the result to the PACS server 100 to the client. And store the additional information in the PACS server 100 in response to the request for storing the additional information of the client, and provide the result to the PACS server 100 to the client. Correspondingly, the PACS server 100 provides the client with the additional information requested by the client and the original DICOM image from which the additional information is extracted.

According to the client DICOM image management system of the present invention as described above, if the client has a necessary image while viewing the original DICOM image, and selects the required image, the additional information corresponding to the selected image is displayed in the PACS server 100. When the client requests the inquiry of the additional information stored in the virtual client folder, the client provides the original DICOM image from which the additional information is extracted along with the additional information requested by the client. From the client's point of view, the image required for the user is managed separately with his or her own information without damaging or changing the original DICOM image using the virtual folder of the PACS server 100 without storing the image necessary for the user on a separate local computer. You can do it.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a client image management method using the client DICOM image management system is as follows.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart illustrating a method of managing a DICOM image for a client according to the present invention, which includes creating a virtual client folder (S301) and selecting a virtual folder from the DICOM image in the virtual client folder. Generating a case to store additional information related to an image (called “case” in the sense of integrating and storing a plurality of additional information) (S302); and adding additional information related to an image selected from an original DICOM image. And storing the additional information stored in the case and the original DICOM image from which the additional information is extracted to the client terminal (S304).

The client DICOM image management method of the present invention as described above, if the client wants to separately manage the necessary image with its own information while viewing and viewing the original DICOM image stored in the PACS server 100, PACS server 100 Create a folder for the virtual client in the server and store the additional information related to the selected image from the original DICOM image.

When the client requests the inquiry of the additional information stored in the virtual client folder of the PACS server 100, the client terminal 110_1, 110_2, .. the additional information requested by the client and the original DICOM image from which the additional information is extracted. .110_n), you can manage your own image separately without changing the original DICOM image.

On the other hand, Figure 4 shows a window screen showing the configuration of the virtual client folder in accordance with the present invention, it can be seen that the virtual folder for the client (Tree) structure.

As an example, subfolders such as internal medicine, radiology, surgery, CT, MRI, etc. are configured in the medical center folder, and each subfolder has its own subfolder, for example, within the radiology folder. The subfolders such as the faculty member, the first reading room, and the second reading room are configured, and the subfolders such as the associate professor and the former professor are formed in the faculty folder.

For reference, in FIG. 4, since the system designer has already created the PACS server in the associate professor and the former professor group, the client selects a folder of the group to which he belongs, and then creates his own virtual folder within the selected folder. In addition, by generating a case to actually store the image information in the virtual folder, by setting the security for each case or folder by limiting the access or read / write of others can be managed separately as your own information.

Such a client DICOM image management method of the present invention will be described in detail as follows.                     

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a virtual client folder generation method according to the DICOM image management method for clients of the present invention, in which a virtual folder is first generated.

First, the client may want to manage the necessary image as his or her own information while inquiring and viewing the original DICOM image stored in the PACS server 100. Thus, if there is an image to be managed as its own information among the original DICOM images, the client drives a virtual folder viewer program (PIVIEW program) installed in its terminal, selects a desired image from the original DICOM image, and then selects the selected image. Extract additional information related to the image. Thereafter, a location for creating a virtual folder for storing the additional information is set in the PACS server 100. For example, if the client wants to create his virtual folder in the associate professor's folder of his or her radiology group, he selects the radiologist folder, the faculty folder, and the associate professor folder in turn (see Fig. 4). Set the location to be created.

Subsequently, after the name and detail information of the virtual folder are input by the client, when the folder creation button is clicked, the virtual folder creation request information is transmitted to the PACS server 100 (S401), and accordingly, the PACS The server 100 transmits the virtual folder creation request information received from the client to the client image management server 120.

Then, when the client image management server 120 receives the virtual folder creation request information from the PACS server 100 (S402), the virtual folder having the same name as the name of the folder input by the client is a PACS server ( In step S403, if there is a virtual folder of the same name, the PACS server 100 requests the client to input a new folder name (S404).

If a virtual folder with the same name does not exist, after creating a virtual folder in the PACS server 100 with the name entered by the client (S405), and transmits the result information to the PACS server 100 ( S406), the process of creating a virtual client folder in the PACS server 100 is completed.

Subsequently, a process of generating a case to store additional information related to the image actually selected by the client is performed in the virtual client folder. That is, since the client has created his or her own virtual folder in the PACS server 100, in order to create a case to store additional information related to the selected image from the original DICOM image, the name of the case and the screen when the image is later viewed After entering details including layout information of the image to be displayed on the screen, select the Create Case button. Accordingly, case generation request information (including case name, layout, and detail information) is transmitted from the client terminals 110_1, 110_2,... 110_n to the client image management server 120 via the PACS server 100 ( S407). Accordingly, the client image management server 120 determines whether a case having the same name as the case name input by the client exists (S408), and if the case with the same name exists, causes the PACS server 100 to give the client a new case name. It is requested to enter the (S409).                     

If the case with the same name does not exist, the case is created in the virtual client folder with the name input by the client (S410), and the resulting information is transmitted to the PACS server 100 (S411). The case creation process is complete.

For reference, FIG. 6 illustrates, as an example, a window screen when a plurality of cases are formed in the client folder after the client folder “Park Si-hyun” is created in the associate professor folder of FIG. 4. As can be seen, the details including the name of the case and the number of additional information stored in each case can be seen that displayed.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of storing additional information in a case in a state where a virtual client folder and a case are generated by the above-described process.

If there is an image that the client wants to manage with its own information while viewing and viewing the original DICOM image stored in the PACS server 100, the client selects a desired image from the original DICOM image and then provides additional information related to the selected image. After extraction, run the virtual folder viewer program installed in your device.

Subsequently, after selecting a case to store the additional information or creating a new case by the method described above, if the Save button for storing the additional information is selected, the additional information is stored. The request information is transmitted to the PACS server 100, and the storage request information including the additional information is transmitted from the PACS server 100 to the client image management server 120 (S701).                     

In this case, when the additional information is to be stored in a new case, the client image management server 120 may be immediately stored in the case. However, if the additional information is stored in a case where a plurality of additional information is already stored, the case In step S702, it is checked whether the same additional information as the additional information to be stored is stored in the mobile terminal.

As a result of the checking, if the same additional information exists, the PACS server 100 notifies the client of this. If the same additional information does not exist, the client stores the additional information to be stored in the case (S703). As a result, when the information is transmitted to the PACS server S704, the PACS server 100 increases the number of additional information stored in the case (the number in the "image" column in the drawing), as shown in FIG. To the client.

8 is a flowchart for explaining a method of querying additional information stored in a specific case.

First, when the case in which the additional information to be inquired by the client is selected, the inquiry request information is transmitted to the PACS server 100, and thus the inquiry request information is transmitted through the PACS server 100 to the client image management server 120. (S801).

Accordingly, the client image management server 120 checks whether a key value of a case selected by the client is valid (S802), and if it is valid, creates a list of additional information stored in the case and generates a PACS. The server 100 transmits the data to the server 100 (S803).

Here, the key value is a value for validating the case currently displayed on the terminal of the client. For example, when the client A and the client B simultaneously access the same virtual folder, Even if Client A deletes any case stored in the virtual folder, the deleted contents are not displayed on the screen of Client B, and Client B may select the deleted cases. At this time, when the client B selects the case deleted by the client A, it is determined that the key value of the selected case is not valid.

Accordingly, the PACS server 100 transmits the list of additional information created and sent by the client image management server 120 to the client terminal so that the client can check the displayed additional information.

Thereafter, the PACS server 100 searches for additional information on the list and transmits the additional information to the client terminal, and simultaneously retrieves and transmits the original DICOM image from which the additional information is extracted to the client terminal (S804). Here, the additional information includes a position value indicating which position in the original DICOM image the image selected by the client corresponds to, as well as read information and editing information (Flip, Rotation, Reverse) for the image selected by the client. , Window width / level, Layout).

On the other hand, the method for setting the security on the virtual client folder according to the present invention, first, if a virtual client folder for security settings by the client is selected, the list of cases stored in the selected virtual client folder to the client send. In this case, the list includes a case name, details, a creation date, a person created and location information.

Therefore, when the security details such as read, read / write, or access denied for each case are selected by the client, the security is set for each case in the PACS server 100 according to the selected security details, and the result is returned to the client. By providing this to a client, a client can secure its own virtual folder to prevent other unauthorized clients from tampering with its information. For reference, FIG. 9 shows an example of folders in which security is set.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is apparent that various changes, modifications, and equivalents may be used, and the above-described embodiments may be appropriately modified and applied in the same manner. Accordingly, the above description does not limit the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

As described above, the client DICOM image management system and management method of the present invention have the following effects.

If there is an image that the client needs while viewing the original DICOM image, the client stores the additional information related to the image in a virtual folder of the PACS server and manages it as his own information. Since the original DICOM image stored in the PACS server is received along with the additional information stored in the virtual folder, there is no need to install a separate local computer for storing the DICOM image, and also need to store his information on the local computer. none.                     

Therefore, not only the installation cost according to the local computer installation, but also the client's DICOM image and additional information are managed in the PACS server and the virtual client folder in the PACS server, not the local computer, thereby minimizing the network load between the PACS server and the client terminals. Can be.

Claims (9)

In a PACS system connected with a plurality of client terminals for querying and reading DICOM images stored in a PACS server, A PACS server in charge of overall control for acquiring, storing, and transmitting the DICOM image; Creates a virtual client folder in the PACS server to store additional information related to the image selected by the client from the original DICOM image, and stored in the original DICOM image and the virtual client folder in response to the request for additional information inquiry from the client. A client image management server for transmitting additional information to the client terminal; And a communication network that connects the PACS server, the client image management server, and the client terminal to support storage, inquiry, and transmission of the DICOM image. The method of claim 1, wherein the PACS server, DICOM image management system for clients, characterized in that the security of the virtual client folder or additional information in the folder is set according to the client's request, and the result is transmitted to the client terminal. Creating a virtual client folder in the PACS server according to the client's request; Creating a case in the virtual client folder that can store a plurality of additional information related to the image selected by the client; Storing, in the case, additional information related to the image selected by the client from the original DICOM image; And providing the client with the corresponding additional information stored in the case and the original DICOM image from which the additional information has been extracted, according to the request for additional information inquiry of the client. The method of claim 3, wherein the creating of the virtual client folder comprises: Requesting input of a name and details of a folder for a client to be generated when a virtual folder viewer program stored in advance is driven and a generation path of a virtual client folder is set; Checking whether a folder having the same name as the folder name exists when the name and details of the folder for the client are input; DICOM image management for a client comprising requesting a new folder name if a folder with the same name exists, and creating a virtual client folder with the name entered by the client if the folder with the same name does not exist. Way. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the case comprises: If a generation path of a case to store additional information extracted from the original DICOM image is set by the client, requesting input of the name and details of the case; Checking whether a case having the same name as the name of the case exists when the name and details of the case are input, Requesting a new case name if a case with the same name exists, and creating a case with the name entered by the client if a folder with the same name does not exist. The method of claim 3, wherein storing the additional information obtained from the original DICOM image in the case comprises: When the case in which the additional information is to be stored is set, confirming whether the same additional information as the additional information to be stored currently exists in the case; And storing the additional information in a set case if the same additional information does not exist, and transmitting the result information to the client. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitting of the additional information and the original DICOM image corresponding to the additional information to a client terminal comprises: When the key value of the DICOM image to be inquired is received from the client terminal, validating the key value; If the key value is valid, preparing a list of additional information stored in the case and transmitting the list to the client terminal; If a list is selected by the client, searching for additional information corresponding to the selected list and transmitting the additional information to the client terminal; And transmitting the original DICOM image corresponding to the additional information to the client terminal. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising setting security on the virtual client folder. The method of claim 8, wherein the setting of security comprises: Transmitting a list of cases stored in the selected virtual client folder to the client when the virtual client folder for security setting is selected; If the read-by-list or read / write or deny access for each list is selected by the client, setting the security according to the selected security setting details, and providing the result to the client. How to manage DICOM images.

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