U.S. patent application number 10/941314 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-16 for systems, methods and apparatus for image quality analysis.
This patent application is currently assigned to General Electric Company. Invention is credited to Mohamed Ali Hamadeh.
Application Number | 20060056670 10/941314 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36033987 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060056670 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hamadeh; Mohamed Ali |
March 16, 2006 |
Systems, methods and apparatus for image quality analysis
Abstract
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in
some embodiments an image acquisition station transmits images that
have been identified as having inadequate diagnostic quality to a
computer system of an image quality consultant. The image quality
consultant may develop recommendations on how to improve the
quality, and the recommendations are communicated to appropriate
personnel.
Inventors: |
Hamadeh; Mohamed Ali;
(Waukesha, WI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JAMES D IVEY
3025 TOTTERDELL STREET
OAKLAND
CA
94611-1742
US
|
Assignee: |
General Electric Company
Schenectady
NY
|
Family ID: |
36033987 |
Appl. No.: |
10/941314 |
Filed: |
September 15, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
382/128 ;
705/3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06T 7/0002 20130101;
G16H 30/20 20180101; Y10S 128/922 20130101; G06T 2207/30004
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
382/128 ;
705/003 |
International
Class: |
G06K 9/00 20060101
G06K009/00; G06F 19/00 20060101 G06F019/00 |
Claims
1. A system to support image quality consultation, the system
comprising: an imaging device operable to generate an electronic
image of a subject; a first image-review system operable to receive
the electronic image from the imaging device; an anonymizer of the
electronic image, operable to receive the electronic image from the
first image-review system, and operable to provide access to the
anonymized electronic image; and a second image-review system
operable to receive the anonymized electronic image from the
imaging device and present the anonymized electronic image.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device further
comprises: a magnetic resonance imaging device.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device further
comprises: a computed tomography imaging device.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device further
comprises: an ultrasound imaging device.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device further
comprises: an X-ray device.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first image-review system
further comprises: an acquisition workstation.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second image-review system
further comprises: a communicator of at least one recommendation on
how to improve the quality of the electronic image, the
communicator operably coupled to the first image-review system.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one recommendation
further comprises: at least one recommendation on how to image the
subject again under different circumstances of optimal acquisition
parameters, patient positioning and/or image processing parameters
that are reasonably calculated to yield an image with improved
quality in comparison to the electronic image.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the anonymized electronic image
does not have the following patient information; name, birthdate,
social security number, and patient number.
10. A system to support image quality consultation, the system
comprising: an X-ray imaging device operable to generate an
electronic image of a subject; and a first image-review system
comprising: a processor operable to receive the electronic image
from the X-ray imaging device, operable to anonymize the electronic
image, operable to transmit to the anonymized electronic image and
operable to receive a recommendation on how to improve the quality
of the electronic image.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the anonymized electronic image
does not have the following patient information; name, birthdate,
social security number, and patient number.
12. An image acquisition workstation comprising: a receiver of a
plurality of electronic images from an imaging device; an
identifier of an electronic image of the plurality of electronic
images; an anonymizer of the electronic image, operable to remove
confidential subject information from the identified electronic
image; and a transmitter of the anonymized electronic image.
13. The image acquisition workstation of claim 12, wherein the
image acquisition workstation further comprises: a receiver of at
least one recommendation on how to improve the quality of the
anonymized electronic image.
14. The image acquisition station of claim 12, wherein the
anonymized electronic image does not have the following patient
information; name, birthdate, social security number, and patient
number.
15. An image acquisition workstation comprising: a receiver of an a
electronic image from an imaging device; a storage device to store
the electronic image; a processor coupled to the storage device,
comprising: an identifier of the electronic image, operable to
identify the electronic image for image quality consultation; an
anonymizer of the identified electronic image, operable to remove
confidential subject information from the identified electronic
image; and a transmitter of the anonymized electronic image.
16. The image acquisition workstation of claim 15, wherein the
image acquisition workstation further comprises: a receiver from a
computer system associated with an image consultant, operable to
receive at least one recommendation on how to improve the quality
of the anonymized electronic image.
17. The image acquisition station of claim 15, wherein the
anonymized electronic image does not have the following patient
information; name, birthdate, social security number, and patient
number.
18. An online customer support system comprising: a receiver of an
anonymized electronic image; and a transmitter of at least one
recommendation on how to improve the quality of the anonymized
electronic image.
19. The online customer support system of claim 18, wherein the
receiver further comprises: a component operable to receive the
anonymized electronic image from the Internet.
20. The online customer support system of claim 18, wherein the
transmitter further comprises: a component operable to transmit the
at least one recommendation through the Internet.
21. The online customer support system of claim 18, wherein the
anonymized electronic image does not have the following patient
information; name, birthdate, social security number, and patient
number.
22. An online customer support system comprising: a receiver of an
anonymized electronic image; a storage device to store the
anonymized electronic image; and a processor coupled to the storage
device, comprising: a transmitter of at least one recommendation on
how to improve the quality of the anonymized electronic image.
23. The online customer support system of claim 22, wherein the
receiver further comprises: a component operable to receive the
anonymized electronic image from the Internet.
24. The online customer support system of claim 22, wherein the
transmitter further comprises: a component operable to transmit the
at least one recommendation through the Internet.
25. The online customer support system of claim 22, wherein the
anonymized electronic image does not have the following patient
information; name, birthdate, social security number, and patient
number.
26. A computer-accessible medium having executable instructions to
support image quality consultation, the executable instructions
capable of directing a processor to perform: receiving an
identification of at least one image to be accessed by an
engineering image quality expert; anonymizing the at least one
identified image; and providing access to the at least one
anonymized image.
27. The computer-accessible medium of claim 26, the medium further
comprising executable instructions capable of directing a processor
to perform: receiving recommendations of image quality
consultation.
28. The computer-accessible medium of claim 26, wherein
identification further comprises: an identification performed by a
medical imaging technician.
29. The computer-accessible medium of claim 26, wherein providing
access to the at least one anonymized image further comprises:
providing access of a medical image consultant to the at least one
anonymized image.
30. The computer-accessible medium of claim 26, wherein providing
access to the at least one anonymized image further comprises:
transmitting the at least one anonymized image to the manufacturer
of the imaging device that generated the at least one image.
31. The computer-accessible medium of claim 26, wherein anonymized
image does not have the following patient information; name,
birthdate, social security number, and patient number.
32. A computer-accessible medium having executable instructions to
support medical image quality consultation by a manufacturer of a
medical electronic imaging device, the executable instructions
capable of directing a processor to perform: receiving an
identification of an electronic image of a patient generated by the
medical electronic imaging device to be accessed by an engineering
medical image quality expert, the image further comprising
confidential patient information; anonymizing the confidential
patient information in the electronic image; transmitting the
anonymized image to the manufacturer of the imaging device that
generated the at least one image; and receiving recommendations of
an image quality consultation in reference to the anonymized
image.
33. The computer-accessible medium of claim 32, wherein
identification further comprises: an identification performed by a
medical imaging technician.
34. The computer-accessible medium of claim 32, wherein
confidential patient information further comprise; name, birthdate,
social security number, and patient number.
35. A method to support image quality consultation, the method
comprising: receiving an identification of an X-ray image to be
transmitted to an online customer support system of a manufacturer
associated with an engineering image quality expert; anonymizing
the identified X-ray image; and transmitting the anonymized image
to the online customer support system.
36. The method of claim 35 further comprising: receiving
recommendations of image quality consultation in reference to the
anonymized image from the online customer support system.
37. A computer-accessible medium having executable instructions to
support image quality consultation, the executable instructions
capable of directing a processor to perform: receiving access to at
least one anonymized image; wherein the at least one anonymized
image does not have the following patient information; name,
birthdate, social security number, and patient number. receiving
recommendations of image quality consultation of the anonymized
image; and transmitting the recommendations.
38. The computer-accessible medium of claim 37, wherein the
transmitting is performed through the Internet.
39. The computer-accessible medium of claim 37, wherein anonymized
image does not have the following patient information; name,
birthdate, social security number, and patient number.
40. A method performed by a human comprising: selecting an image
from a graphical user interface of an image acquisition station,
the image having been determined the a human as having
non-diagnostic image quality; and selecting a graphical user
interface control indicating an instruction to transmit the image
to an image quality consultant.
41. The method of claim 40, the method further comprising:
receiving recommendations from the image quality consultant on
actions the at least could improve the image quality.
42. The method of claim 40, wherein the selecting further
comprises: clicking a radio button in the graphical user interface
that is associated with the image.
43. A method of image quality consultation performed by a human
image quality comprising: receiving notice of receipt by a
image-review system of an anonymized electronic image for image
quality consultation; analyzing the anonymized image for
recommendations on how to improve the quality of the anonymized
electronic image; and communicating the recommendations to an image
technician, the image technican being associated with a facility
that generated the anonymized electronic image.
44. The method of claim 43, wherein communicating the
recommendations further comprises: transmitting the recommendations
in an electronic format through an electronic communication
channel, wherein the electronic communication channel is selected
from the group consisting of email through the Internet and an
online customer support system.
45. The method of claim 43, wherein communicating the
recommendations further comprises: communicating the
recommendations to a image technician at the facility, through a
device selected from the group consisting of a telephone and a
facsimile device.
46. The method of claim 43, wherein analyzing the anonymized image
for recommendations further comprises: analyzing the anonymized
image for recommendations on how to image the subject of the
anonymized electronic image again under different circumstances of
optimal acquisition parameters, patient positioning and/or image
processing parameters that are reasonably calculated to one of
ordinary skill in the art of electronic image analysis to yield an
image with improved quality in comparison to the anonymized
electronic image.
47. A graphical user interface comprising: a first graphical region
operable to indicate at least one selected image; and a second
graphical region operable to indicate an affirmation of
transmission of the at least one selected image to an image quality
consultant.
48. The graphical user interface of claim 47, wherein the first
graphical region further comprises: a radio button.
49. The graphical user interface of claim 47, wherein the first
graphical region further comprises: an item in a pull-down
menu.
50. The graphical user interface of claim 47, wherein the second
graphical region further comprises: a radio button.
51. The graphical user interface of claim 47, wherein the second
graphical region further comprises: an item in a pull-down menu.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to image quality review,
and more particularly to a system for supporting medical image
quality consultation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Image quality (IQ) is an important aspect of medical images.
Without appropriate and satisfactory IQ, a radiologist cannot
perform a reliable diagnosis using medical images. Unfortunately,
some medical images may lack adequate diagnostic IQ. Causes of
inadequate IQ include less than optimal acquisition parameters,
patient positioning and/or image processing parameters. When such
causes interfere with IQ, the radiologist may retake the images or
try to reprocess the medical image using different image processing
parameters until satisfactory IQ is attained.
[0003] Radiologists often consult with medical imaging engineers or
IQ consultants in the analysis of medical IQ. In one such scenario
of IQ consultation, a radiologist at a medical imaging facility
contacts the manufacturer of the medical imaging device about
inadequate IQ of one or more medical images generated by the
medical imaging device. In response, the manufacturer dispatches a
field engineer to the site of the medical imaging facility. The
field engineer copies the medical images to a compact disk read
only memory (CDROM) and sends or brings the CDROM to an IQ expert
at another location, usually at a location of the manufacturer. The
IQ expert examines the images on the CDROM, and communicates
suggestions on changes in the acquisition parameters, patient
positioning or image processing parameters.
[0004] In another consultation scenario, the radiologist at the
medical imaging facility contacts the manufacturer of the medical
imaging device about inadequate IQ of one or more medical images
generated by the medical imaging device. In response, the
manufacturer dispatches the field engineer to the site of the
medical imaging facility. The field engineer contacts the
manufacturer and possibly a customer support engineer at the
manufacturer. In response the IQ expert and/or the customer support
engineer at the manufacturer remotely accesses the images stored in
an image acquisition workstation of the medical imaging device
through a computer communicating over communication lines to the
medical facility. The remote access is commonly referred to as
insite connectivity. Thereafter, the IQ expert examines the images
remotely, and communicates suggestions on changes in the
acquisition parameters, patient positioning and/or image processing
parameters to the medical facility.
[0005] Unfortunately, the above process of medical IQ consultation
is costly and slow. The above process requires on-site visits by
field engineers that cost at least hundreds of dollars in travel
and personnel cost to the manufacturer, and practically speaking,
at least a few hours will lapse before the medical facility will
receive suggestions on changes in the acquisition parameters,
patient positioning and/or image processing parameters. Often, this
time delay requires a return trip by the patient to the medical
facility, which further delays to acquisition of medical images
with diagnostic quality.
[0006] For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated
below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon
reading and understanding the present specification, there is a
need in the art for a system of IQ consultation that reduces the
cost of the consultation to the manufacturer of the medical imaging
device. There is also a need for a system of IQ consultation that
reduces the amount of time required to communicate suggestions on
changes in the acquisition parameters, patient positioning and/or
image processing parameters, thus increasing the opportunity to
finalize or complete the imaging before the patient leaves the
medical facility, which in turn decreases the amount of time to
obtain a image of medical diagnostic quality.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The above-mentioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems
are addressed herein, which will be understood by reading and
studying the following specification.
[0008] Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in
some embodiments an image acquisition station transmits images that
have been identified as having inadequate diagnostic quality to a
computer system of an image quality consultant. The image quality
consultant may develop recommendations on how to improve the
quality, and the recommendations are communicated to appropriate
personnel.
[0009] In one aspect, a system to support image quality
consultation includes an imaging device that is operable to
generate an electronic image of a subject, a first image-review
system that is operable to receive the electronic image from the
imaging device, an anonymizer of the electronic image that is
operable to receive the electronic image from the first
image-review system, and operable to provide access to the
anonymized electronic image, and a second image-review system that
is operable to receive the anonymized electronic image from the
imaging device and present the anonymized electronic image.
[0010] In another aspect, the anonymized electronic image does not
have the following patient information, name, birthdate, social
security number, and patient number.
[0011] In yet another aspect, an online customer support system
includes a receiver of an anonymized electronic image, and a
transmitter of at least one recommendation on how to improve the
quality of the anonymized electronic image.
[0012] In still another aspect, a human, such as a radiologist,
selects an image from a graphical user interface of an image
acquisition station, the image having been determined by the human
as having non-diagnostic image quality, and the human selects a
graphical user interface control indicating an instruction to
transmit the image to an image quality consultant.
[0013] In a further aspect, a human image quality consultant
receives notice of receipt by a image-review system of an
anonymized electronic image for image quality consultation, the
consultant analyzes the anonymized image for recommendations on how
to improve the quality of the anonymized electronic image, and
communicates the recommendations to an image technician.
[0014] Systems, clients, servers, methods, and computer-readable
media of varying scope are described herein. In addition to the
aspects and advantages described in this summary, further aspects
and advantages will become apparent by reference to the drawings
and by reading the detailed description that follows.
[0015] By providing electronic access to diagnostic images that
have non-diagnostic image qualithy by the image quality consultant
expert in the automated manner of system with fewer intervening
actions than conventional systems, such as dispatching a field
engineer, valuable advice is provided to the medical image
technician on how to improve the quality of those diagnostic images
in more timely manner. The image quality consultant expert, upon
reviewing the anonymized images can assess the situation and
provide a set of recommendations/solutions to the medical image
technician in a more timely manner. Hence, the medical facility who
can attain diagnostic image quality of medical images by following
the recommendations in a more timely manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system-level overview of
an embodiment;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method performed by an
acquisition workstation according to an embodiment;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method to support image quality
consultation by a manufacturer of a medical imaging device;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the hardware and operating
environment in which different embodiments can be practiced;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a particular implementation of
an acquisition workstation; and
[0021] FIG. 6 is a diagram of a graphical user interface in which
different embodiments can be practiced.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] In the following detailed description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is
shown by way of illustration specific embodiments which may be
practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to
enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments, and it
is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that
logical, mechanical, electrical and other changes may be made
without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The following
detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting
sense.
[0023] The detailed description is divided into five sections. In
the first section, a system level overview is described. In the
second section, methods of embodiments are described. In the third
section, the hardware and the operating environment in conjunction
with which embodiments may be practiced are described. In the
fourth section, particular implementations are described. Finally,
in the fifth section, a conclusion of the detailed description is
provided.
System Level Overview
[0024] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that provides a system level
overview of a system to support image quality consultation. System
solves the need in the art for reduced time and cost in medical IQ
consultation.
[0025] In system 100, some embodiments of a medical facility 102
include an imaging device 104 that is operable to generate an
electronic image 106 of a subject (not shown). Examples of imaging
devices include magnetic resonance (MR) imaging devices, computed
tomography (CT) devices, ultrasound imaging devices, and X-ray
devices.
[0026] Some embodiments of system 100 include a first image-review
system 108 in the medical facility 102 that is operable to receive
the electronic image 106 from the imaging device 104. The first
image-review system 108 displays the electronic image 106. A
medical image technician 110 reviews the electronic image 106
determines that the consultation of an image quality consultant
would be helpful in review of the electronic image 106. In some
embodiments, the first image-review system 108 is an image
acquisition workstation. In some embodiments, the medical image
technician 110 is a radiologist or another worker on the medical
staff of the medical facility 102.
[0027] Some embodiments of system 100 also include an anonymizer
112 of the electronic image. The anonymizer 112 is operable to
receive the electronic image 106 from the first image-review system
108, and operable to provide access to the anonymized electronic
image 114. The anonymizer creates a version of the electronic image
106 that limited to including anonymous information on the patient
subject of the electronic image 106. The anonymized electronic
image 114 excludes information that could identity the patient
subject; that information includes the name, social security
numbers, address and patient number of the patient subject. The
anonymization of the electronic image 106 protects the privacy of
the patient from any misuse, such as identity theft, of
confidential information.
[0028] In some embodiments of system 100, in an engineering
facility 116, the anonymized electronic image 114 is received by a
second image-review system 118 and the anonymized electronic image
114 is displayed by the second image-review system 118 for review
and analysis by an image quality consultant 120. The anonymization
of the electronic image 106 protects the engineering facility 116
from any misuse, such as identity theft, of the confidential
information.
[0029] The image quality consultant 120 communicates solutions,
recommendations and/or advice 122 to the medical image technician
110 on how to improve the quality of the anonymized electronic
image 114 or how to image the subject again under different
circumstances of optimal acquisition parameters, patient
positioning and/or image processing parameters that are reasonably
calculated to yield an image with improved quality in comparison to
the anonymized electronic image 114.
[0030] By providing electronic access to diagnostic images that
have non-diagnostic IQ by the image quality consultant 120 expert
in the automated manner of system 100 with fewer intervening
actions than conventional systems, such as dispatching a field
engineer, valuable advice is provided to the medical image
technician 110 on how to improve the quality of those diagnostic
image 114 in more timely manner. The image quality consultant 120
expert, upon reviewing the anonymized images can assess the
situation and provide a set of recommendations/solutions 122 to the
medical image technician 110 in a more timely manner. Hence, the
medical facility 102 can attain diagnostic IQ of medical images by
following the recommendations 122 in a more timely manner.
[0031] Thus, system 100 reduces the cost of the consultation to the
manufacturer of the medical imaging device 104 by reducing the need
to dispatch a field engineer to the medical facility 102. System
100 also reduces the amount of time required to communicate
suggestions on changes in the acquisition parameters, patient
positioning in imaging device 104 and/or image processing
parameters, which in turn increases the opportunity to finalize or
complete the imaging before the patient leaves the medical facility
102, which in turn decreases the amount of time to obtain an image
of medical diagnostic quality.
[0032] The system level overview of the operation of an embodiment
has been described in this section of the detailed description.
Some embodiments operate in a multi-processing, multi-threaded
operating environment on a computer, such as computer 402 in FIG.
4.
[0033] While the system 100 is not limited to any particular
medical facility 102, imaging device 104, electronic image 106,
image-review system 108, medical image technician 110, anonymizer
112, anonymized electronic image 114, engineering facility 116,
image-review system 118, image quality consultant 120 and
solutions, recommendations and/or advice 122, for sake of clarity
simplified medical facility 102, imaging device 104, electronic
image 106, image-review system 108, medical image technician 110,
anonymizer 112, anonymized electronic image 114, engineering
facility 116, image-review system 118, image quality consultant 120
and solutions, recommendations and/or advice 122 have been
described.
Methods of an Embodiment
[0034] In the previous section, a system level overview of the
operation of an embodiment was described. In this section, the
particular methods performed by the server and the clients of such
an embodiment are described by reference to a series of flowcharts.
Describing the methods by reference to a flowchart enables one
skilled in the art to develop such programs, firmware, or hardware,
including such instructions to carry out the methods on the
processor of the clients and servers executing the instructions
from computer-readable media. Similarly, the methods performed by
the server computer programs, firmware, or hardware are also
composed of computer-executable instructions. Methods 200-300 are
performed by computer instructions executing on, or performed by
firmware or hardware that is a part of, a computer, such as
computer 402 in FIG. 4.
[0035] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method 200 performed by an
acquisition workstation according to an embodiment. Method 200
solves the need in art for reduced time and cost in medical IQ
consultation.
[0036] Method 200 includes receiving 202 an identification of one
or more images 106 to be accessed by an engineering image quality
(IQ) expert, such as IQ expert 120 in FIG. 1. In some embodiments,
one or more of the identified images includes annotations in images
or associated with the images that indicate particular problems
with the IQ. The annotations are typically added by the medical
image technician 110 as an aid to the analysis of the IQ problems
by the image quality consultant 120.
[0037] In some embodiments, the identification is prompted by a
user of an image presentation program in which the user selects
images in any one of a number of conventional graphical user
interface techniques, such as by clicking a radio button or a
button associated with an image or selecting a option from a
pull-down menu that indicates selection of an image.
[0038] In some embodiments, method 200 includes receiving (not
shown) an affirmation of transmission of the one or more selected
images to an image quality consultant. In some embodiments, the
affirmation is prompted by a user of an image presentation program
in which the user selects images in any one of a number of
conventional graphical user interface techniques, such as by
clicking a radio button associated with an image or selecting a
option from a pull-down menu that indicates affirmation of
transmission of the one or more selected image to an image quality
consultant.
[0039] Thereafter, the one or more identified images are anonymized
204 in some embodiments. In some embodiments, anonymizing 204
includes removing or deleting confidential personal information of
the patient subject of the image(s) in order to protect
confidentiality of the patient subject. In some embodiments,
anonymizing 204 is performed by anonymizer 112 in FIG. 1.
[0040] Thereafter, method 200 includes providing 206 access of the
anonymized image(s), such as image 114, to the IQ expert 120. In
some embodiments, access is provided by sending, transmitting
and/or pushing the anonymized image(s) to a computer system, such
as image-review system 118 in FIG. 1, to which the IQ expert 120
has access. In these embodiments, an electronic communication
session is initiated with an Engineering IQ expert. Such
communication is generic and can be dependent on the medical
facility and/or the Engineering department policies. One example
for such communication initiation can be handled via an On Line
Center support that will in this case provide a communication
bridge between the site and the engineering department.
[0041] Either of the electronic image 106 or the anonymized image
114 may be encoded in some embodiment in accordance with a
conventional graphic encoding scheme such as JPEG, GIF, TIFF, BMP,
PCX, TGA, PNG, SVG, ANALYZE (published by the Mayo Clinic of
Rochester, Minn.), MFNC, AFNI, MPEG and Quicktime. In some
embodiments, the electronic image 106 is encapsulated in an image
annotation object (not shown) that conforms to an image annotation
standard, such as DICOM, the Papyrus standard published by the the
Numerical Unit of Imagery in France (based on DICOM), General
Electric MRI/LX, General Electric MRI/Genesis 5, General Electric
MRI/Signa, General Electric Scanditronix (4096 PET format), and
Interfile published by the Society of Nuclear Medicine in Reston,
Va.
[0042] DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine)
standard 3.0 defines twenty-four data elements in object-oriented
terms. Each DICOM object has a unique tag, name, characteristics
and semantics. DICOM requires conformance statements that identify
de minimus data requirements. DICOM conforms to the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) reference model for network
communications. The DICOM standard was developed jointly by the
National Equipment Manufacturers Association (NEMA) in Rosslyn, Va.
and by the American College of Radiology (ACR). DICOM is published
by NEMA. The DICOM standard is also known as the ACR/NEMA
standard.
[0043] In some embodiments, method 200 further includes receiving
208 IQ recommendations, such as recommendation 122 in FIG. 1.
Receiving 208 the recommendations 122 can be performed by a variety
of manners, such as the acquisition workstation 108 receiving the
recommendations 122 in an electronic format through an electronic
communication channel (e.g. email through the Internet or an online
customer support system) as shown in FIG. 1. In another manner of
receiving 208, a medical image technician 110 at the medical
facility 102 receives the recommendations 122 via telephone or
facsimile transmission from the IQ expert 120 or a field
engineer.
[0044] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method 300 to support image
quality consultation by a manufacturer of a medical imaging device,
performed by an image-review system according to an embodiment.
Method 300 solves the need in art for reduced time and cost in
medical IQ consultation. One example of an image-review system is
image-review system 118 in FIG. 1.
[0045] In some embodiments, method 200 includes receiving 302
access to at least one anonymized image. In some examples, the
anonymized image 114 in FIG. 1 that is generated by the anonymizer
112 in action 204 of FIG. 2. The anonymized image contains no
information that could be used to ascertain the identity of the
patient in the image. In some embodiments when access is received
or the anonymized image is received, an associated IQ expert is
notified immediately.
[0046] In some embodiments, method 200 also includes receiving 304
recommendations of image quality (IQ) consultation of the
anonymized image. The recommendations are typically created by an
image quality consultant 120 in FIG. 1.
[0047] In some embodiments, method 300 thereafter includes
transmitting 306 the recommendations. The recommendations are
transmitted in the same variety of manners as in action 208 in FIG.
2, such as the image-review system transmitting the recommendations
to a acquisition workstation in an electronic format through an
electronic communication channel (e.g. email through the Internet
or an online customer support system) as shown in FIG. 1, and/or
the IQ consultant 120 communicating the recommendation to the
medical image technician 110 at the medical facility 102 via
telephone or facsimile transmission from the IQ expert 120 or a
field engineer.
[0048] In some embodiments, methods 200-300 are implemented as a
computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, that represents a
sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, such
as processor 404 in FIG. 4, cause the processor to perform the
respective method. In other embodiments, methods 200-300 are
implemented as a computer-accessible medium having executable
instructions capable of directing a processor, such as processor
404 in FIG. 4, to perform the respective method. In varying
embodiments, the medium is a magnetic medium, an electronic medium,
or an optical medium.
Hardware and Operating Environment
[0049] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the hardware and operating
environment 400 in which different embodiments can be practiced.
The description of FIG. 4 provides an overview of computer hardware
and a suitable computing environment in conjunction with which some
embodiments can be implemented. Embodiments are described in terms
of a computer executing computer-executable instructions. However,
some embodiments can be implemented entirely in computer hardware
in which the computer-executable instructions are implemented in
read-only memory. Some embodiments can also be implemented in
client/server computing environments where remote devices that
perform tasks are linked through a communications network. Program
modules can be located in both local and remote memory storage
devices in a distributed computing environment.
[0050] Computer 402 includes a processor 404, commercially
available from Intel, Motorola, Cyrix and others. Computer 402 also
includes random-access memory (RAM) 406, read-only memory (ROM)
408, and one or more mass storage devices 410, and a system bus
412, that operatively couples various system components to the
processing unit 404. The memory 406, 408, and mass storage devices,
410, are types of computer-accessible media. Mass storage devices
410 are more specifically types of nonvolatile computer-accessible
media and can include one or more hard disk drives, floppy disk
drives, optical disk drives, and tape cartridge drives. The
processor 404 executes computer programs stored on the
computer-accessible media.
[0051] Computer 402 can be communicatively connected to the
Internet 414 via a communication device 416. Internet 414
connectivity is well known within the art. In one embodiment, a
communication device 416 is a modem that responds to communication
drivers to connect to the Internet via what is known in the art as
a "dial-up connection." In another embodiment, a communication
device 416 is an Ethernet.RTM. or similar hardware network card
connected to a local-area network (LAN) that itself is connected to
the Internet via what is known in the art as a "direct connection"
(e.g., Ti line, etc.).
[0052] A user enters commands and information into the computer 402
through input devices such as a keyboard 418 or a pointing device
420. The keyboard 418 permits entry of textual information into
computer 402, as known within the art, and embodiments are not
limited to any particular type of keyboard. Pointing device 420
permits the control of the screen pointer provided by a graphical
user interface (GUI) of operating systems such as versions of
Microsoft Windows.RTM.. Embodiments are not limited to any
particular pointing device 420. Such pointing devices include mice,
touch pads, trackballs, remote controls and point sticks. Other
input devices (not shown) can include a microphone, joystick, game
pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like.
[0053] In some embodiments, computer 402 is operatively coupled to
a display device 422. Display device 422 is connected to the system
bus 412. Display device 422 permits the display of information,
including computer, video and other information, for viewing by a
user of the computer. Embodiments are not limited to any particular
display device 422. Such display devices include cathode ray tube
(CRT) displays (monitors), as well as flat panel displays such as
liquid crystal displays (LCD's). In addition to a monitor,
computers typically include other peripheral input/output devices
such as printers (not shown). Speakers 424 and 426 provide audio
output of signals. Speakers 424 and 426 are also connected to the
system bus 412.
[0054] Computer 402 also includes an operating system (not shown)
that is stored on the computer-accessible media RAM 406, ROM 408,
and mass storage device 410, and is and executed by the processor
404. Examples of operating systems include Microsoft Windows.RTM.,
Apple MacOS.RTM., Linux.RTM., UNIX.RTM.. Examples are not limited
to any particular operating system, however, and the construction
and use of such operating systems are well known within the
art.
[0055] Embodiments of computer 402 are not limited to any type of
computer 402. In varying embodiments, computer 402 comprises a
PC-compatible computer, a MacOS.RTM.-compatible computer, a
Linux.RTM.-compatible computer, or a UNIX.RTM.compatible computer.
The construction and operation of such computers are well known
within the art.
[0056] Computer 402 can be operated using at least one operating
system to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) including a
user-controllable pointer. Computer 402 can have at least one web
browser application program executing within at least one operating
system, to permit users of computer 402 to access an intranet,
extranet or Internet world-wide-web pages as addressed by Universal
Resource Locator (URL) addresses. Examples of browser application
programs include Netscape Navigator.RTM. and Microsoft Internet
Explorer.RTM..
[0057] The computer 402 can operate in a networked environment
using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as
remote computer 428. These logical connections are achieved by a
communication device coupled to, or a part of, the computer 402.
Embodiments are not limited to a particular type of communications
device. The remote computer 428 can be another computer, a server,
a router, a network PC, a client, a peer device or other common
network node. The logical connections depicted in FIG. 4 include a
local-area network (LAN) 430 and a wide-area network (WAN) 432.
Such networking environments are commonplace in offices,
enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, extranets and the
Internet.
[0058] When used in a LAN-networking environment, the computer 402
and remote computer 428 are connected to the local network 430
through network interfaces or adapters 434, which is one type of
communications device 416. Remote computer 428 also includes a
network device 436. When used in a conventional WAN-networking
environment, the computer 402 and remote computer 428 communicate
with a WAN 432 through modems (not shown). The modem, which can be
internal or external, is connected to the system bus 412. In a
networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the
computer 402, or portions thereof, can be stored in the remote
computer 428.
[0059] Computer 402 also includes power supply 438. Each power
supply can be a battery.
Acquisition Workstation Implementation
[0060] Referring to FIG. 5, a particular implementation of an
acquisition workstation 500 is described in conjunction with the
system overview in FIG. 1 and the methods described in conjunction
with FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0061] Apparatus 500 includes an identifier 502 of one or more
images, such as image 106 in FIG. 1, to be accessed by an
engineering image quality (IQ) expert, such as IQ expert 120 in
FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the identification is prompted by a
user of an image presentation program (not shown) in which the user
selects images in any one of a number of conventional graphical
user interface means displayed on display 422, such as by clicking
a radio button associated with an image or selecting a option from
a pull-down menu that indicates selection of an image.
[0062] Apparatus 500 also includes an anonymizer 504, such as
anonymizer 112 in FIG. 1. The anonymizer 504 is operable to remove
confidential patient information from the electronic image
identified by identifier 502. In some embodiments, the anonymizer
accesses the identified image in reference to the identification
generated by the identifier. In some embodiments, the anonymizer
receives the identified image from the identifier 502.
[0063] Apparatus 500 components of the identifier 502 and the
anonymizer 504 can be embodied as computer hardware circuitry or as
a computer-readable program, or a combination of both. In another
embodiment, the identifier 502 and/or the anonymizer 504 are
implemented in an application service provider (ASP) system.
[0064] More specifically, in the computer-readable program
embodiment, the programs can be structured in an object-orientation
using an object-oriented language such as Java, Smalltalk or C++,
and the programs can be structured in a procedural-orientation
using a procedural language such as COBOL or C. The software
components communicate in any of a number of means that are
well-known to those skilled in the art, such as application program
interfaces (API) or interprocess communication techniques such as
remote procedure call (RPC), common object request broker
architecture (CORBA), Component Object Model (COM), Distributed
component Object Model (DCOM), Distributed System Object Model
(DSOM) and Remote Method Invocation (RMI). The components execute
on as few as one computer as in computer 402 in FIG. 4, or on at
least as many computers as there are components.
[0065] FIG. 6 is a diagram of a graphical user interface (GUI) 600
in which different embodiments can be practiced.
[0066] GUI 600 displays medical images 602, 604 and 606. For each
image, the GUI 600 includes a graphical region associated with the
image that is operable to indicates that the associated image is
selected. Examples of the graphical regions include a radio button,
a button and an item in a pull-down menu. In GUI 600, radio buttons
608, 610 and 612 are operable to indicate selected images 602, 604
and 606 respectively. More specifically, radio buttons 608 and 612
indicate that images 602 and 606 are selected, respectively.
[0067] GUI 600 includes a graphical region 614 that is operable to
indicate an affirmation of transmission of the at least one
selected image to an image quality consultant. In the embodiment
shown in GUI 600, the graphical region 614 is a button.
CONCLUSION
[0068] An image quality analysis system has been described. In some
embodiments, the method/workflow is entirely automated. In fact,
all the radiologist needs to do is to select the images to be sent
to the IQ expert and launches the specific application that will
anonymize the images and send them automatically to the IQ expert.
The IQ expert assigned to this medical facility will be immediately
notified that the IQ expert has a case of IQ to assess and
investigate in order to respond to the radiologist and give him the
recommended solution.
[0069] The systems, methods and apparatus described herein provide
the following advantages: Avoids retake of medical images when
image quality can be recovered or improved using image-processing
techniques, provides faster response from engineering to address
image quality issues encountered on sites, enhances IQ engineering
expertise: When exposed to diverse issues regarding image quality,
the IQ expert can establish some common pattern of problems and
their solutions. A database of encountered IQ issues is an
excellent source of information for engineering to address and
resolve in future programs and new product introductions.
[0070] Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill
in the art that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the
same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown.
This application is intended to cover any adaptations or
variations. For example, although described in procedural terms,
one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that
implementations can be made in an object-oriented design
environment or any other design environment that provides the
required relationships.
[0071] In particular, one of skill in the art will readily
appreciate that the names of the methods and apparatus are not
intended to limit embodiments. Furthermore, additional methods and
apparatus can be added to the components, functions can be
rearranged among the components, and new components to correspond
to future enhancements and physical devices used in embodiments can
be introduced without departing from the scope of embodiments. One
of skill in the art will readily recognize that embodiments are
applicable to future communication devices, different file systems,
and new data types.
[0072] The terminology used in this application is meant to include
all object-oriented, database and communication environments and
alternate technologies which provide the same functionality as
described herein.
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