JPH065538B2 - Mass digital image file system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mass digital image file system, and more particularly to a mass digital image file system for performing image search by directory management.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, the most frequently handled image data of medical examinations is a film taken as a result of an X-ray examination. Although these films have been stored as films in the order of shooting or stored in a wrapping bag for each patient, because space is required and search is not easy, the film is a collective type optical disc as a countermeasure. It was accumulated and stored in.

This image data includes image data obtained by direct imaging, which is a fluoroscopic image of X-rays, computer radiography (hereinafter referred to as CR), computer tomography (hereinafter referred to as CT), and magnetic resonance examination (hereinafter referred to as “CT”). Image data (referred to as MRI) and the like are read by a specialist and stored together with the port. The relationship between the input / output of images and the database will be described below with reference to FIG.

An example of the image file method according to the conventional technique is the image terminals 23A to 23N, the processor 24, the database 25, the X-ray tomography apparatus 26, the X-ray direct imaging apparatus 27, and the MRI.
And a device 28, which are connected by a LAN.
X-ray tomography apparatus 26, X-ray direct imaging apparatus 27 and MRI
With the device 28, each takes image data independently,
It is stored in the database 25 and stored by the processor 24 through the respective image terminals 26A, 27A and 28A and the data bus or LAN.

In order to display the image data on one of the image terminals 23A to 23N, the patient name and the image ID are specified from one of the image terminals 23A to 23N, and the database 25 is searched through the processor 24. The stored specified image data is displayed on the requested image terminal.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

As described above, the problem of the conventional technique to be solved by the present invention is that even when the image data stored in the database is called from the image terminal and is displayed on the image terminal, each imaging device group (X-ray tomography). Equipment / X-ray direct imaging equipment / MR
When storing image data acquired by I, CR, CT, etc. in the database, the same data bus or LAN
Through. Therefore, when any one of the image data is on the data bus 200 or the LAN, the transmission of the other image data is stopped and the data length of one image data is an order of magnitude larger than that of the data indicating other slips. Since it is long, it has the drawback of poor transmission efficiency.

An object of the present invention is to provide a digital image filing method that solves the above drawbacks.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

According to the digital image file system of the present invention, a plurality of image input units, a plurality of image search units, and a directory management unit are connected to a local area network (LA).
N) is a mass digital image file system connected via N), wherein the image input unit is an image pickup device,
A database for storing image data, image data from the image pickup apparatus is stored in this database, and a code for identifying this image data and a storage position on the database are output to the LAN as directory information, and the image retrieval unit And a first processor for sending the image data stored in the database to the image search unit via a LAN in response to the request, the directory management unit includes a directory table and
The directory information from the first processor is stored in the directory table, and when the image data identification code is supplied from the image input unit, the directory table stores the image data database corresponding to the image data identification code. The information indicating the position is LA
And a second processor for sending a desired image based on the information indicating the storage position received from the directory management unit by sending the image data identification code to the directory management unit. It is characterized by receiving and displaying data.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the processing contents of this embodiment shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, this embodiment is provided with a LAN 100 and a processor 1 with a directory management system 2
And the image terminals 3A to 3N are connected. Furthermore, a medical imaging device (for example, an X-ray tomography device 6 with an image input terminal 6A, 7A, 8A, an X-ray direct imaging device 7, MR)
I device 8, etc.), databases 5A to 5M composed of a collective type optical disk device, etc., and processors 4A to 4M are connected to the LAN 100 in groups to form a distributed image database system.

The functions of the keys for moving these are as shown in FIG. 2, an ordering system for issuing an image request in some form, a medical image archiving and transmission system (PACS) for inputting, archiving, and retrieving images, and image information. There is a radiation information system (RIS) for inputting and searching the radiology report. Key 11 can be patient name, sex, date of birth, next visit date, department to be examined, examination order number, examination room number on the day, and 12 is patient name, sex, date of birth, examination number. The common key used here is the patient number.

Next, the common keys between the medical image archiving and transmission system and the radiation information system are the patient number and the examination number. These contents are stored in the directory management system 2 in the configuration of this embodiment shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The image obtained by the X-ray tomography apparatus 6 is the processor 4A.
And is stored in the database 5A together with the patient number, examination order number, image ID, date of imaging, etc. Therefore, during this image transfer work with a large amount of data,
It can be performed independently of the signal transmission of the LAN 100.
Further, data serving as an image search key, that is, a directory is stored in an appropriate external memory (like a table) of the processor 1 (which is a computer generally used in a hospital information system) through the LAN 100.

In such an operation, images of the X-ray direct imaging apparatus 7 and the MRI apparatus are similarly stored in the databases 5B and 5M through the processors 4B and 4M, respectively.

On the other hand, the image terminals 3A to 3N are installed in the image reading room and the examination rooms, respectively, and display necessary images each time the image reading and the examination are performed. At this time, for example, when the data of the X-ray tomography of the patient is required by the image terminal 3A, the database designated by the table of the external memory of the processor 1 by designating the image ID, the patient number, etc. (here, the database 5A ) Can be retrieved and the required image can be captured in the buffer of the image terminal 3A through the LAN 100 and displayed.

Therefore, the image data having a large data length obtained from the medical image pickup apparatus is stored in the database without passing through the LAN 100, and is passed through the LAN 100 only when being sent from the database to each image terminal. Therefore, the image transmission is efficiently performed. An image ID indicating the storage position of the image database is stored in a directory in which images are retrieved from each image terminal in association with each patient, each modality, each diagnosis name, and the like.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, the present invention provides a database of images and a processor that manages the database for each imaging apparatus such as an X-ray imaging apparatus or MRI apparatus or a group thereof, and thus dispersively installs them. By providing the file storing the contents of the stored database in the external memory of the processor connected to the LAN, the influence on the LAN when storing the image in the database is reduced and the image stored in the database is stored in the LAN. This has the effect of facilitating transfer to the connected image terminal.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the processing contents of this embodiment shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional image file system. 1.4A-4M ... Processor, 2 ... Directory program, 3A-3N image terminal, 5A-5M ... Database, 6 ... X-ray tomography apparatus, 7 ... X-ray direct imaging apparatus, 8 ... MRI apparatus.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H04L 12/28

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A mass digital image file system in which a plurality of image input units, a plurality of image search units, and a directory management unit are connected via a local area network (LAN), and the image input unit comprises: An image capturing device, a database for storing image data, image data from the image capturing device is stored in this database, and a code for identifying this image data and a storage position on the database are output to the LAN as directory information, A first processor that sends image data stored in the database to the image search unit via a LAN in response to a request from the image search unit; and the directory management unit includes a directory table and the first processor. Directory information from When the image data identification code stored in the directory table is supplied from the image input unit, information indicating the storage location of the image data database corresponding to the image data identification code in the database is transmitted to the LAN from the directory table. The image search unit sends the image data identification code to the directory management unit and receives and displays desired image data based on the information indicating the storage position received from the directory management unit. A large-capacity digital image file system characterized in that