WO2005050520A1

WO2005050520A1 - Transmission and storage method and system for 3-dimensional medical image.

Info

Publication number: WO2005050520A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/002535
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yeong-Gil Shin; Seung-Chul Park; Cheol-Hi Lee; Seung-Wook Choi; Jun-O Bea
Original assignee: Infinitt Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2003-11-22
Filing date: 2003-11-22
Publication date: 2005-06-02
Also published as: AU2003284747A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a digital medical image storage and transmission and system, more specifically to a method and system for storing and transmitting 3-dimensional medical image for efficient control of PACS data according to increase of thin slice image data. The present invention include a step acquiring a raw data; a step automatically making a 3-dimensional image; a step automatically routing; a step storing the 3-dimensional image; a step reconstructing the 3-dimensional image; a step storing reconstructed the 3-dimensional image; a step reconstructing a key image of the 3-dimensional image; a step storing reconstructed the 3-dimensional key image; and a step referring 3-dimensional image.

Description

TRANSMISSION AND STORAGE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR 3-DIMENSIONAL MEDICAL IMAGE

Technical Field The present invention relates to a method and system for storing and transmitting digital medical images, and more particularly, to a method and system for storing and transmitting 3-dimensional medical images for efficient control of PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) data increased in response to an increase of thin slice image data for 3-dimensional medical image diagnosis.

Background Art Present medical institutions should construct a future- oriented digital environment capable of satisfying clients to reinforce medical examination and treatment, administrative service, education and research activities in order to survive competition and achieve continuous development. This digital hospital has four structures of business, data, technology and control. Systems technically required for medical institutions include a medical information system, PACS, RIS, LIS, EMR and so on. The PACS means a digital image management and transmission system that acquires digital medical images, particularly, radiographs, transmits the acquired images through a network with a high transmission rate, stores the medical images in the form of digital information instead of conventional X-ray films, and allows radiologists and clinicians to give medical treatment to patients using images displayed through an image referring device instead of a conventional film view box. The PACS includes an image acquisition system, a database and storage devices, display devices, and a network connecting them. Furthermore, the PACS uses DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standard as its protocol. DICOM is a standard protocol that transmits medical images and information among medical imaging devices. In the construction of digital hospital, the PACS cannot exist without present medical image devices including CR (Computed Radiography) , DR (Direct Radiography) , CT (Computer Tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) . With the development of digital medial systems, new requirements are created. Recently, large-sized hospitals have introduced MDCT (Multi Detect CT) having more than 16 channels, which generates hundreds to thousands slice images each have a thickness of 1mm in one-time examination and requires supplementation of existing PACS structure. Furthermore, in spite of increasing quantity of data, the conventional data processing method is still without improvement . A conventional PACS is described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIG. la shows an image of the liver, acquired by conventional non-continuous CT (Computer Tomography) and FIG. lb shows an image of the liver, acquired as a thin slice image for 3-dimensional CT reading using high performance continuous CT . As shown in FIGS, la and lb, 200 images are generated when the liver is photographed with a slice thickness of 10mm using the conventional CT but 400 images are acquired when photographed with a slice thickness of 0.5mm for 3-dimensional CT reading. When 0.5mm thin section images are generated, a storage space of more than approximately 500MB is required. A vast amount of thin section image data causes the PACS to be complicated and thus system performance is deteriorated and frequent reinvestment is needed. As an example, the quantity of PACS data of a certain hospital (having approximately 1600 sickbeds) in Korea was increased from 5TB (1TB=1024GB) before the introduction of high performance CT in 2000 to 8TB in 2001 and to 9.5TB in 2002 after the introduction of high performance CT, and more than a hundred million was consumed for a storage device of 1TB. FIG. 2a is a diagram for explaining a conventional CT reading process, and FIGS. 2b and 2c show examples of 3- dimensional CT reading. As shown in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c, the conventional CT reading method combines multiple continuous axial plane images (FIG. 2a) only by the opinion of a reading specialist to infer a 3-dimensional form and judges whether the corresponding patient has a problem from the 3-dimensional form. However, since 3-dimensional CT reading becomes reality owing to development of thin section CT equipment and image processing techniques, it is more intuitive to judge whether the patient has a problem that abdominal CT is composed of coronal plane image (FIG. 2b) and spinal CT is composed of sagittal plane image (FIG. 2c) . For 3-dimensional CT reading, however, 3-dimensional images should be manually generated from row data generated from CT equipment. This requires a long period of working time. Furthermore, the 3-dimensional image generating process is inefficient because it is a simple and repetitive operation. As an example, approximately 10 minutes is needed to construct a 3- dimensional image if CT operating time is 1 minute. As described above, high performance CT remarkably increases the quantity of thin section image data. Accordingly, the data processing system needs improvement and the inefficient, simple and repetitive 3-dimensional image constructing process requires automation. Here, the 3-dimensional image means data reconstructed using a 3-dimensional technique such as MRP and MIP from 2-dimensional images generated from a tomography apparatus such as CT and MRI. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a conventional 3-dimensional image storing and transmitting method. Referring to FIG. 3, row data is acquired from a tomography device such as CT (Computer Tomography) , MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and so on in the step S300. Thick section images (approximately 5mm in thickness) are constructed of the row data in the step S301. Subsequently, the thick section images are stored in a storage device of PACS in the step S302. A radiology reading specialist refers to 2- dimensional images from the thick section images stored in the storage device of PACS through a workstation in the step S303. Here, when the reading specialist determines that a 3- dimensional image is required, this request is transmitted through a network in the step S305. When the reading specialist determines that the 3-dimensional image is not needed, the reading process is ended in the step S304. When the reading specialist requests the 3-dimensional image to be constructed, this request is transmitted through the network and thin section images (approximately 0.3 to 3mm in thickness) for constructing the 3-dimensional image are reconstructed of the row data stored in a medical image device (console controlling medical equipment) in the step S306. The reconstructed thin section images are transmitted to the storage device of PACS and stored therein in the step S307. Then, the reading specialist downloads the thin section images from the storage device of PACS through the workstation in the step S308 to construct the 3-dimensional image. The constructed 3- dimensional image is stored in the storage device of PACS in the step S309, and then the whole process is ended in the step S310. The above-described conventional system can store the row data generated from the medical equipment for only several days because the quantity of row data is very large and the thin section images for constructing the 3-dimensional image cannot be reconstructed after the period. Furthermore, the thin section images and 3-dimensional image should be stored in the PACS for 3-dimensional reading and thus a large storage space is required. Moreover, when a 3-dimensional medical image is constructed, reading is carried out only through the steps 300 to 305 because the conventional system is complicated. Thus, the 3-dimensional CT reading function using high performance CT cannot be 100% utilized. Furthermore, since reading only using the axial plane is changed into reading using the sagittal plane or coronal plane with the development of high performance tomography equipment and 3-dimensional medical image processing techniques, medical devices should generate images twice using row data.

Disclosure of Invention Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for transmitting and storing 3-dimensional medical images, which acquires digital medical images from a medical image device, reconstructs a 3-dimensional image out of the acquired medical images, and refers to the reconstructed 3-dimensional image. The method includes the steps of: acquiring row data or thin section image data from the medical image device; automatically transmitting the acquired row data or thin section image data to an automatic 3-dimensional image generator and automatically generating a 3-dimensional image according to a 3-dimensional image construction protocol previously defined before the 3- dimensional image is generated; transmitting the generated 3- dimensional image to a radiology reading specialist workstation through auto-routing, auto-routing the row data or thin section image data to a 3-dimensional image workstation such that a 3- dimensional image, which is not generated by the automatic 3- dimensional image generator, can be manually generated, and auto-routing the generated 3-dimensional image and the row data or thin section image data to a storage device; allowing the 3- dimensional image workstation to manually generate the row data or thin section images, which has not been processed by the automatic 3-dimensional image generator, and storing the manually generated row data or thin section image data in a PACS; storing the 3-dimensional image in a storage device of a main PACS and storing the row data or thin section image data used for constructing the 3-dimensional image in a 3-dimensional image dedicated MiniPACS; allowing the radiology reading specialist to reconstruct a required 3-dimensional image other than the 3-dimensional image generated by the automatic 3- dimensional image generator out of the row data or thin section image data auto-routed to the MiniPACS according to the 3- dimensional image construction protocol; storing the reconstructed 3-dimensional image in the storage device of the main PACS; allowing the radiology reading specialist to refer to the 3-dimensional image through a user interface and additionally reconstruct a 3-dimensional key image out of the row data or thin section images auto-routed to the MiniPACS; storing the reconstructed 3-dimensional key image in the storage device of the main PACS; and allowing clinicians to refer to the 3-dimensional image stored in the storage device of the main PACS through the user interface. Here, the 3-dimensional image construction protocol can be added, modified and deleted by the radiology reading specialist. Furthermore, the 3-dimensional image construction protocol can be added, modified and deleted by a radiology specialist. The method for transmitting and storing 3-dimensional medical images further includes a step of storing the row data or thin section image data, stored in the MiniPACS, in a short- term storage device and, after the lapse of predetermined time, storing the row data or thin section image data in a long-term storage device and an off-line backup device. The present invention also provides a system for transmitting and storing 3-dimensional medical images, which acquires digital medical images from a medical image device, reconstructs a 3-dimensional image out of the acquired medical images, and refers to the reconstructed 3-dimensional image. The system, includes: an image acquisition unit for acquiring row data or 2-dimensional thin section image data from the medical image device and storing the acquired row data or image data in an image acquisition server; a 3-dimensional image dedicated MiniPACS for automatically generating a 3-dimensional image from the row data or thin section image data acquired from the medical image device, auto-routing the 3-dimensional image to a main PACS and a radiology reading specialist workstation, auto- routing the row data or thin section image data to a 3- dimensional image workstation when a 3-dimensional image is requested to be manually generated, and storing the row data or thin section image data; the radiology reading specialist's workstation, which is connected to the main PACS and the MiniPACS through a network, refers to the 3-dimensional image stored in a storage device of the main PACS to read it, when a 3-dimensional image other than the 3-dimensional image auto- routed thereto is required to be acquired, receives the row data or thin section image data from the MiniPACS to reconstruct the 3-dimensional image and stores the reconstructed image in the PACS; and the main PACS connected to the MiniPACS, the radiology reading specialist workstation, the 3-dimensional image workstation and a clinician workstation through a network. The MiniPACS includes: an automatic 3-dimensional image generator for receiving the row data or thin section image data from the medical image device to automatically generate a 3- dimensional image; a short-term storage device for storing the row data or thin section image data first and downloading row data or thin section image data from a long term storage device; the long term storage device receiving the row data or thin section image data from the short term storage device and storing the received data; and an off-line backup device for finally storing the row data or thin section image data from the long term storage device. The automatic 3-dimensional image generator automatically generates the 3-dimensional image from the row data or thin section image data according to a 3-dimensional image construction protocol. The system further includes a controller by which a user can add, modify and delete the 3-dimensional image construction protocol.

Brief Description of the Drawings Further objects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. la shows an image of the liver, acquired using non- continuous CT; FIG. lb shows an image of the liver, acquired as a thin section image using high performance continuous CT; FIG. 2a is a picture for explaining a conventional CT reading process; FIG. 2b shows an example of 3-dimensional CT reading; FIG. 2c shows an example of 3-dimensional CT reading; FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a conventional 3-dimensional image storing and transmitting method; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a 3-dimensional medical image storing and transmitting method according to the present invention; FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a 3-dimensional medical image storing and transmitting system according to the present invention; FIG. 6 shows a system constructing a 3-dimensional image dedicated MiniPACS according to the present invention; and FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an automatic 3-dimensional image generating process.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention The present invention will now be described in detail in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings . A method and system for storing and transmitting 3- dimensional medical images according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a 3-dimensional medical image storing and transmitting method according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, image data (row data or thin section image data) is acquired from a medical image device in the step S401, and the acquired image data is automatically transmitted to an automatic 3-dimensional image generator in the step S402. Fundamental 3-dimensional images are automatically generated by the automatic 3-dimensional image generator based on a 3- dimensional image construction protocol previously set in the automatic 3-dimensional image generator and stored in a short- term storage device and a storage device of a main PACS in the step S403. Here, the protocol can be added, modified and deleted by a user. For example, CT 3-D orders of an OCS (Order Communication System) and RIS (Radiology Information System) are transmitted with a worklist to medical equipment and order information is input to study description of image or examination code. The automatic 3-dimensional image generator reconstructs 3-dimensional images based on the order information, and thus the 3-dimensional images can be automatically reconstructed according to addition, modification and deletion of protocol. The row data or thin section image data, automatically stored in the short-term storage device first, is automatically stored in a long-term storage device in the step S404. The row data or thin section image data, which is backed up in the long- term storage device, is stored in a final off-line backup device in the step S405. Previous row data or thin section image data is transmitted from the final off-line storage device to the short-term storage device via the long-term storage device based on the 3-dimensional image construction protocol in the steps S406 and S407. All the row data or thin section image data from the short- term storage device is auto-routed to a radiology reading specialist workstation and a 3-dimensional image workstation in the step S408. When the -3-dimensional images are manually generated, a 3-dimensional image operator additionally reconstructs 3-dimensional images out of the row data or thin section image data through the workstation according to a work list and stores the 3-dimensional images in the storage device of the main PACS in the step S409. The work list additionally automatic-classifies row data or thin section image data for reconstructing 3-dimensional images in advance, which is for examinations that are not executed with the 3-dimensional images automatically generated by the automatic 3-dimensional image generator, and auto-routes the additional row data or thin section image data to a hard disc of the workstation. The reading specialist refers to the 3-dimensional images stored in the storage device of the main PACS through a user interface and reads them in the step S410, and additionally reconstructs a key image and stores it in the storage device of the main PACS in the step S411. Clinicians refer to the final 3- dimensional images stored in the storage device of the main PACS through the user interface in the step S412. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a 3-dimensional medical image storing and transmitting system according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the 3-dimensional medical image storing and transmitting system includes a medical image device 501, an image acquisition unit 502, a MiniPACS 530, a main PACS 504, and user workstations 505, 506 and 507. The medical image device 510 takes a photograph of a portion of the body of a patient. The image acquisition unit 502 consists of an image acquisition device for acquiring image data from the medical image device and an image acquisition server for storing the image data acquired by the image acquisition device. The MiniPACS 530 receives row data or thin section image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 510 to automatically generate a 3-dimensional image. The MiniPACS 530 has a storage device capable of storing the row data or thin section image data and is connected to the main PACS 504 and the user workstations 505, 506 and 507 through a network. The main PACS 504 has a storage device capable of storing the 3-dimensional images generated by the automatic 3-dimensional image generator and 3-dimensional images reconstructed by the user workstations and supports a digital image managing and transmitting system. The user workstations 505, 506 and 507 are connected through the network. Here, the medical image device is one of tomography apparatuses including CT, MRI and MDCT (Multi Detector Computer Tomography) . The storage device includes the short-term storage device, the long-term storage device and the off-line storage device. Preferably, the short-term storage device uses RAID

(Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) , the long-term storage device uses NAS (Network Attached Storage) , and the off-line storage device uses a DLT (Digital Linear Tape) back up device. In addition, various storage devices can be used as the storage device . FIG. β shows a system constructing the 3-dimensional image dedicated MiniPACS according to the present invention. The 3- imensional image dedicated MiniPACS includes an automatic 3- dimensional image generator 601, an auto-router 602, a short- term storage device 603, a long-term storage device 604, and an off-line backup device 605. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an automatic 3-dimensional image generating process. Referring to FIG. 7, the automatic 3- dimensional image generator includes a command processor 702 that converts a command 701, which is recorded in a statement form such that a computer can directly execute it, into a machine language command executable by the computer according to a compiler or assembler, an image input unit 704 for inputting 2-dimensional row data or thin section image 703 generated from the medical image device, a 3-dimensional image construction unit 705 for automatically generating a 3-dimensional image from the row data or thin section image transmitted from the command processor 702 and image input unit 704 according to the command, and a 3-dimensional image display unit 706 for displaying the 3- dimensional image generated by the 3-dimensional image construction unit 705. Conventionally, a radiology specialist received an order of constructing a 3-dimensional image, manually carried out CT, loaded slice images, and reconstructed the 3-dimensional image by a manual operation according to the order. However, the present invention can automatically receive images and commands according to a specified protocol to automatically construct the 3-dimensional image. The aforementioned 3-dimensional image generating technique, which is well known in the art, includes a MPR (Multi Planar Reconstruction) technique and a volume rendering technique. Any one of these techniques can be used as the 3-dimensional image generating technique according to the present invention. Industrial Applicability According to the present invention, the 3-dimensional medical image dedicated MiniPACS can be constructed to efficiently process 3-dimensional medical image data and reduce the cost of the entire PACS. Furthermore, 3-dimensional images can be automatically generated from row data or thin section image data acquired from medical image devices and thus 3- dimensional images can be easily reconstructed. Moreover, 3- dimensional information is graphically transmitted such that doctors can be aware of patient's diseases intuitively. Furthermore, the present invention processes a vast amount of 3- dimensional image data using the 3-dimensional image dedicated MiniPACS to construct the PACS combined with the 3-dimensional image processing system. While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

What Is Claimed Is:

1. A method for transmitting and storing 3-dimensional medical images, which acquires digital medical images from a medical image device, reconstructs a 3-dimensional image out of the acquired medical images, and refers to the reconstructed 3- dimensional image, comprising the steps of: acquiring row data or thin section image data from the medical image device; automatically transmitting the acquired row data or thin section image data to an automatic 3-dimensional image generator and automatically generating a 3-dimensional image according to a 3-dimensional image construction protocol previously defined before the 3-dimensional image is generated; transmitting the generated 3-dimensional image to a radiology reading specialist workstation through auto-routing, auto-routing the row data or thin section image data to a 3- dimensional image workstation such that a 3-dimensional image, which is not generated by the automatic 3-dimensional image generator, can be manually generated, and auto-routing the generated 3-dimensional image and the row data or thin section image data to a storage device; allowing the 3-dimensional image workstation to manually generate the row data or thin section images, which has not been processed by the automatic 3-dimensional image generator, and storing the manually generated row data or thin section image data in a PACS; storing the 3-dimensional image in a storage device of a main PACS and storing the row data or thin section image data used for constructing the 3-dimensional image in a 3-dimensional image dedicated MiniPACS; allowing the radiology reading specialist to reconstruct a required 3-dimensional image other than the 3-dimensional image generated by the automatic 3-dimensional image generator out of the row data or thin section image data auto-routed to the MiniPACS according to the 3-dimensional image construction protocol; storing the reconstructed 3-dimensional image in the storage device of the main PACS; allowing the radiology reading specialist to refer to the 3-dimensional image through a user interface and additionally reconstruct a 3-dimensional key image out of the row data or thin section images auto-routed to the MiniPACS; storing the reconstructed 3-dimensional key image in the storage device of the main PACS; and allowing clinicians to refer to the 3-dimensional image stored in the storage device of the main PACS through the user interface .

2. The method for transmitting and storing 3-dimensional medical images as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of adding, modifying and deleting the 3-dimensional image construction protocol by the radiology reading specialist.

3. The method for transmitting and storing 3-dimensional medical images as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of adding, modifying and deleting the 3-dimensional image construction protocol by a radiology specialist.

4. The method for transmitting and storing 3-dimensional medical images as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of storing the row data or thin section image data, stored in the MiniPACS, in a short-term storage device and, after the lapse of predetermined time, storing the row data or thin section image data in a long-term storage device and an off-line backup device.

5. A system for transmitting and storing 3-dimensional medical images, which acquires digital medical images from a medical image device, reconstructs a 3-dimensional image out of the acquired medical images, and refers to the reconstructed 3- dimensional image, comprising: an image acquisition unit for acquiring row data or 2- dimensional thin section image data from the medical image device and storing the acquired row data or image data in an image acquisition server; a 3-dimensional image dedicated MiniPACS for automatically generating a 3-dimensional image from the row data or thin section image data acquired from the medical image device, auto- routing the 3-dimensional image to a main PACS and a radiology reading specialist workstation, auto-routing the row data or thin section image data to a 3-dimensional image workstation when a 3-dimensional image is requested to be manually generated, and storing the row data or thin section image data; the radiology reading specialist's workstation, which is connected to the main PACS and the MiniPACS through a network, refers to the 3-dimensional image stored in a storage device of the main PACS to read it, when a 3-dimensional image other than the 3-dimensional image auto-routed thereto is required to be acquired, receives the row data or thin section image data from the MiniPACS to reconstruct the 3-dimensional image and stores the reconstructed image in the PACS; and the main PACS connected to the MiniPACS, the radiology reading specialist workstation, the 3-dimensional image workstation and a clinician workstation through a network.

6. The system for transmitting and storing 3-dimensional medical images as claimed in claim 5, wherein the MiniPACS comprises : an automatic 3-dimensional image generator for receiving the row data or thin section image data from the medical image device to automatically generate a 3-dimensional image; a short-term storage device for storing the row data or thin section image data first and downloading row data or thin section image data from a long term storage device; the long term storage device receiving the row data or thin section image data from the short term storage device and storing the received data; and an off-line backup device for finally storing the row data or thin section image data from the long term storage device.

7. The system for transmitting and storing 3-dimensional medical images as claimed in claim 6, wherein the automatic 3- dimensional image generator automatically generates the 3- dimensional image from the row data or thin section image data according to a 3-dimensional image construction protocol, the system further comprising a controller by which a user can add, modify and delete the 3-dimensional image construction protocol.